Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect that dysphagia has on quality of life (QoL), functioning, and psychological well-being of people who have undergone a total laryngectomy. A questionnaire battery was sent to all members (N = 197) of the Laryngectomee Association of NSW, Australia. QoL and functioning were assessed using the World Health Organisation Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQoL-Bref) and the University of Washington QoL (UW-QoL) measures. Psychological well-being was measured using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). One hundred ten questionnaires (56%) were completed and returned. There were no significant differences in QoL, as measured by the WHOQoL-Bref, between those laryngectomees with and without dysphagia. Laryngectomees with dysphagia, however, had significantly impaired functioning and markedly reduced social participation as measured by the UW-QoL. Significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety were also documented in those laryngectomees who had dysphagia. Dysphagia may not necessarily determine QoL following a total laryngectomy. However, it may have a negative impact on functioning and on psychological well-being.
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Notes
Impairment: “problems in body function or structure such as a significant deviation or loss” [5, p. 11].
Activity limitation: “difficulties an individual may have in executing activities” [5, p. 11].
Participation restriction: “problems an individual may experience in involvement in life situations” [5, p. 11].
Convergent validity: “concerned with demonstrating that two independent methods of inferring an attribute lead to similar ends” [18, pp. 92–94].
Predictive validity: “concerns using an instrument to estimate some criterion behaviour that is external to the measuring instrument itself” [18, pp. 92–94].
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Acknowledgement
This paper is part of a wider research study that is generously funded through the Laryngectomee Association of NSW as part of Julia Maclean’s PhD studies at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria.
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Maclean, J., Cotton, S. & Perry, A. Dysphagia Following a Total Laryngectomy: The Effect on Quality of Life, Functioning, and Psychological Well-Being. Dysphagia 24, 314–321 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-009-9209-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-009-9209-0