Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-54).

Background: Celiac disease affects 1% of the population and the only treatment for CD is life-long adherence to a gluten-free diet, this affects every aspect of life including emotional, social, physical and psychological which in turn has an effect on patient quality of life. Objective: This pilot study is an effort in understanding the quality of life in the pediatric CD population and is a guide for a future, large sample research study. Design & Methods: Thirteen children diagnosed with CD by intestinal biopsy (mean 6 months) and their parent pair were asked to complete a generic QoL questionnaire (EQ-5D-CY) and a disease-specific questionnaire (TACQoL-CD). Results: The overall QoL was higher on the generic questionnaire, while the effects of CD and the GFD resulted in a lower quality of life as determined by the TACQoL-CD. Future research with a large sample at multiple timepoints is imperative.

Quality of life (QOL) has been chosen as an outcome measure by various agencies of the United States federal government and has been employed to an increasing extent by healthcare researchers when evaluating various courses of treatment or health promotion interventions. In light of the increasing ubiquitousness of QOL, one can conclude there exists a commonly employed and accepted conceptual understanding of its meaning. A systematic review of the literature focusing on quality of life published between January 1990 and January 2004 was conducted in an effort to discover this definition. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria outlined in the study, a population of 503 articles was identified for potential inclusion. From this population a random sample of 50 articles was selected for further review, with an emphasis placed on the conceptual and operational definitions of quality of life employed in the various studies. Twenty of the articles contained some conceptual discussion of quality of life and 38 contained some operational discussion. Although many articles contained some discussion of the term, little agreement with regard to its meaning and measurement was found. The only acknowledged fact in the majority of the articles concerns the subjective, multi-faceted nature of quality of life and its inherent measurement difficulties. As a result of this work, and because of this lack of cohesion in the understanding of the conceptual issues involved, the following conceptual definition has been proposed. Quality of life is a measure of an individual??s ability to function physically, emotionally and socially within his/her environment at a level consistent with his/her own expectations.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand through the stories of three older adults, how literacy has influenced and shaped the quality of their lives. During a series of conversational interviews, each older adults was able to share stories about their lived experience of literacy and their perception of quality of life. Each adult has lived a unique life. Therefore, as a group, they cannot be viewed homogenously. Portions of their stories do intersect at various points but not in a way that will create generalized theories that can be extended to all older adults.<p>Although they encountered many obstacles and challenges throughout their lives, especially in the context of education and literacy, the older adults exhibited tenacity, perseverence, and resilience, eventually reaching their goals. One of the commonalities evident from their collection of stories was the enduring values that wove throughout each individual life, from the early years until the present day. These values provided the quality of life which each adult experienced.<p>The insights gleaned from these thre older adults may be helpful to other adults, friends and family, care givers, and service providers including educators who are interested in learning what constitutes quality of life from the perspective of older adults.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand through the stories of three older adults, how literacy has influenced and shaped the quality of their lives. During a series of conversational interviews, each older adults was able to share stories about their lived experience of literacy and their perception of quality of life. Each adult has lived a unique life. Therefore, as a group, they cannot be viewed homogenously. Portions of their stories do intersect at various points but not in a way that will create generalized theories that can be extended to all older adults.<p>Although they encountered many obstacles and challenges throughout their lives, especially in the context of education and literacy, the older adults exhibited tenacity, perseverence, and resilience, eventually reaching their goals. One of the commonalities evident from their collection of stories was the enduring values that wove throughout each individual life, from the early years until the present day. These values provided the quality of life which each adult experienced.<p>The insights gleaned from these thre older adults may be helpful to other adults, friends and family, care givers, and service providers including educators who are interested in learning what constitutes quality of life from the perspective of older adults.

Quality of life (QOL) has been chosen as an outcome measure by various agencies of the United States federal government and has been employed to an increasing extent by healthcare researchers when evaluating various courses of treatment or health promotion interventions. In light of the increasing ubiquitousness of QOL, one can conclude there exists a commonly employed and accepted conceptual understanding of its meaning. A systematic review of the literature focusing on quality of life published between January 1990 and January 2004 was conducted in an effort to discover this definition. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria outlined in the study, a population of 503 articles was identified for potential inclusion. From this population a random sample of 50 articles was selected for further review, with an emphasis placed on the conceptual and operational definitions of quality of life employed in the various studies. Twenty of the articles contained some conceptual discussion of quality of life and 38 contained some operational discussion. Although many articles contained some discussion of the term, little agreement with regard to its meaning and measurement was found. The only acknowledged fact in the majority of the articles concerns the subjective, multi-faceted nature of quality of life and its inherent measurement difficulties. As a result of this work, and because of this lack of cohesion in the understanding of the conceptual issues involved, the following conceptual definition has been proposed. Quality of life is a measure of an individual??s ability to function physically, emotionally and socially within his/her environment at a level consistent with his/her own expectations.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Daniel R. Boroto, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 8, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 129 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-108).

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2002. Graduate Programme in Geography. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-123). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ71631.

The proposed study seeks to add to the literature surrounding the assessment of obesity-specific health related quality of life (HRQOL) among youth. Assessing this construct provides valuable information regarding the impacts of obesity on quality of life in childhood and adolescence. However, discrepant reports between caregivers and children can lead to difficulty in interpreting assessment data. Using multiple regression, this study will explore whether observed differences in caregiver and child reports of obesity-specific HRQOL can be predicted by caregiver and child variables in a treatment-seeking sample. Variables of interest include parenting stress, body mass index (BMI), age, and gender. Significant results may help clinicians develop hypotheses about the causes of discrepancies when conceptualizing cases. / text