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Health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis: role of cognitive appraisals of self, illness and treatment

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Abstract

Purpose

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered an important measure of treatment and rehabilitation outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. In this study, we used multivariate regression analysis to examine the role of cognitive appraisals, adjusted for clinical, socioeconomic and demographic variables, as correlates of HRQoL in MS.

Methods

The cross-sectional study included 257 MS patients, who completed Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Treatment Beliefs Scale, Actually Received Support Scale (a part of Berlin Social Support Scale) and Socioeconomic Resources Scale. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants were collected with a self-report survey. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between the variables.

Results

Five variables, illness identity (β = 0.29, p ≤ 0.001), self-esteem (β = −0.22, p ≤ 0.001), general self-efficacy (β = −0.21, p ≤ 0.001), disability subgroup “EDSS” (β = 0.14, p = 0.006) and age (β = 0.12, p = 0.012), were significant correlates of HRQoL in MS. These variables explained 46 % of variance in the dependent variable. Moreover, we identified correlates of physical and psychological dimensions of HRQoL.

Conclusions

Cognitive appraisals, such as general self-efficacy, self-esteem and illness perception, are more salient correlates of HRQoL than social support, socioeconomic resources and clinical characteristics, such as type and duration of MS. Therefore, interventions aimed at cognitive appraisals may also improve HRQoL of MS patients.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to gratefully acknowledge all the individuals with multiple sclerosis who completed a questionnaire, Dr. Mariusz Kowalewski, the manager of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Centre in Borne Sulinowo and Mrs. Danuta Lawniczak from the Polish Society of Multiple Sclerosis for their help in enrollment of the study participants and Mrs. Magdalena Lewandowska for her assistance in statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Culture of People with Disabilities, University School of Physical Education, ul. Królowej Jadwigi 27/39, 61-871, Poznan, Poland

    Maciej Wilski & Tomasz Tasiemski

  2. Department of Physiotherapy and Knowledge About Health, State University of Applied Sciences, Konin, Poland

    Maciej Wilski

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  1. Maciej Wilski
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  2. Tomasz Tasiemski
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Correspondence to Maciej Wilski.

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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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Wilski, M., Tasiemski, T. Health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis: role of cognitive appraisals of self, illness and treatment. Qual Life Res 25, 1761–1770 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-015-1204-3

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