Health Status Profile and Health-Related Quality of Life of Veterans Attending an Out-Patient Clinic.
Health status profile and health-related quality of life of veterans attending an out-patient clinic.
Med Sci Monit. 2013; 19: 386-92
Rabadi MH, Vincent AS
Background There is paucity of data concerning the self-perceptions of health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of veterans with multiple chronic medical conditions. Material and Methods Veterans who attended an out-patient power wheelchair clinic at a tertiary VA Medical Center were assessed. Health status and HRQoL were measured by using the EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaire. The EuroQol (ED-5D) visual analogue scale (EQ-5DVAS) measured their health state, and average values of the (EQ-5D) questionnaire for mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression (EQ-5Dprofile), and the EQ-5Dutility measured their HRQoL. Results Of the 170 veterans who attended the out-patient clinic, the mean (±SD) age was 69.6±10.7 years, male/female ratio was 163/7, and 88% were non-Hispanic whites. Fifty-four percent were retired, 39% had a registered disabled, and only 3% were employed. Thirty-three percent were current smokers. More than 64% of the veterans had 4 or more co-morbid conditions for which they were receiving treatment. The mean (±SD) initial EQ-5Dprofile, EQ-5Dutility, and EQ-5DVAS scores were 10.3±1.5, 0.75±0.05 and 45.3±18.9, respectively. The social-demographic variables studied (age, gender, education, marital status, employment, co-morbid conditions, and current smoking history) were only able to predict the mobility and anxiety/depression domains of the EQ-5D. Conclusions Veterans who considered themselves disabled had multiple chronic medical conditions. Age, employment state, and number of chronic medical conditions were associated with poor health state and HRQoL. No relationship was found between health state and HRQoL in this sample of veterans. HubMed – depression
Blood Pressure Among Public Employees After the Great East Japan Earthquake: The Watari Study.
Am J Hypertens. 2013 May 21;
Konno S, Hozawa A, Munakata M
BACKGROUND: Increases in blood pressure were reported in overworked public workers following the Mid-Niigata earthquake. This study aimed to compare blood pressure changes between public employees and the general population after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011. METHODS: We analyzed 1,776 individuals from the general population and 240 public employees of the town of Watari who received medical check-ups in 2010 and from July 2011 through November 2011. Anthropometric parameters and sitting blood pressure were compared, and fasting blood samples were taken from all participants. In postdisaster measurements, the degrees of insomnia, depression, fatigue, and life disruption due to the disaster were assessed using a questionnaire. Information on the working hours of public employees was obtained from authorized sources. RESULTS: After age-sex adjustments, the public employees showed greater increases in systolic (11.3 vs. -1.9mm Hg, P < 0.001) and diastolic (7.8 vs. 1.1mm Hg, P < 0.001) blood pressure than the general population when compared with measurements taken during the previous year. In contrast, the degrees of fatigue, depression, and life disruption were equivalent in the 2 groups. The average monthly overtime hours worked by public employees in March 2011 was 10-fold higher compared with the previous March. CONCLUSION: Public employees showed greater and more prolonged increases in blood pressure than the general population after the Great East Japan earthquake. Thus blood pressure should be monitored after a great earthquake among public employees, and treatment should be considered if necessary. HubMed – depression