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Health-related quality of life of a very special population: monks of Holy Mountain Athos, Greece

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Abstract

Purpose

The investigation of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of Orthodox Christian monks who live at the Holy Mount Athos in Greece, and its correlation with demographic characteristics and Sense of Coherence (SOC-13).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was designed. The seven monasteries and five scetes with the largest number of monk population were invited to participate. Two monasteries and 1 scete gave their permission for the study. The final monks sample was formed by 166 monks from 215 who participated to the study. HRQOL was assessed using the SF-12 and Sense of Coherence the SOC-13 scales that were completed by monks from May to August 2012. Μultiple linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the association of the HRQOL subscales with the demographics and SOC-13.

Results

The mean age was 45.5 ± 13.0 years; 83.7% lived in communal monasteries, and the mean number of years in monasticism was 18.4 ± 12.1. The mean value of their Physical Component Summary (PCS) score was 47.3 ± 5.3, which is lower than in the general Greek men population, while their Mental Component Summary (MCS) score was 56.4 ± 5.8, which is higher than in the general Greek men population. The mean value of SOC-13 was 65.7 ± 6.5. Positive association for PCS appeared for place of living (β = 5.43, SE = 1.27, p < 0.001) and negative association for age (β = −0.16, SE = 0.03, p < 0.001) while for MCS for number of years in monasticism (β = 0.07, SE = 0.06, p = 0.023) and sense of coherence (β = 0.47, SE = 0.06, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The results indicated that monks had better mental health but worse physical health compared to the general Greek male population. More studies are required to validate the above findings.

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Acknowledgements

The research team cordially wishes to address its gratefulness and appreciation to all the monks who participated in the study. Also, the team wishes to dedicate this study to the memory of Father Thomas Kyklos who offered his valuable advices and help in data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public & Administrative Health, National School Of Public Health, 196 Alexandras Ave., 115 21, Athens, Greece

    K. Merakou, E. Antoniadou & A. Barbouni

  2. General University Hospital of Larisa, 413 34, Larisa, Greece

    E. Kyklou

  3. General Hospital of Athens “Sotiria”, 152, Mesogeion Ave, 115 21, Athens, Greece

    D. Theodoridis

  4. Simonos Petras Monastery, Mt Athos, Dafni, Greece

    E. Doufexis

Authors
  1. K. Merakou
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  2. E. Kyklou
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  3. E. Antoniadou
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  4. D. Theodoridis
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  5. E. Doufexis
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  6. A. Barbouni
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Correspondence to K. Merakou.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Merakou, K., Kyklou, E., Antoniadou, E. et al. Health-related quality of life of a very special population: monks of Holy Mountain Athos, Greece. Qual Life Res 26, 3169–3175 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1622-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1622-5

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