Throughout human history, people have migrated from one area to another for many reasons, including searching for better economic, political or other conditions that are assumed to improve the human standard of living (Kotkin 2016:6; United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2014). Migration to urban areas has increased over the past century, and is only expected to continue doing so. In 2016, 54% of earth’s human population lived within urban areas, making it the largest urban population ever to occur on the planet (Brenner & Schmidt 2014:733; United Nations Population Fund 2014). A 2013 study by El Din, Shalaby, Farouh and Elariane states that, with more of the human population residing in urban areas than in the past, studies around human life in urban areas are more significant and necessary for the sake of increasing knowledge bases for the development of sustainable human environments (El Din et al. 2013:87, 88). Architects and urban planners focus on improving the quality of life of the end users of their designs at a contextual level, which in turn is beneficial as a good quality of life is considered to be one of the most important aspects for sustainable urban development (Othman, Aird & Buys 2015:22). Over the past 15 years there has been a knowledge shift towards global parameters for measurement of quality of life that are not uniform or based solely on economic indicators, but rather are developed so that these indicators can be used to measure quality of life at a contextual level in order to supply informative data and results (United Nations Population Fund 2016; Vermuni & Costanza 2006:124). There are contextual differences, similarities and variations for the definition of a good quality of life between the large urban areas in the developed world as well as in countries within the Global South, which contains the majority of the world’s Third World countries (Rigg 2007:8-10). With the global continuation of the urbanisation of the human population in different contexts, along with the migration of individuals between different parts of the world, urban planners and architects are challenged to design spaces that provide good quality of life within any urban context for an end user coming from any urban or rural context. This study seeks to investigate the means of assessing quality of life in residential spaces of end users who share similar values in terms of quality of life, but will be studied in three varied urban contexts, namely Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Zimbabwe, is classified as a Low Income country by the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (2014), has experienced high levels of migration out of the country over the past 16 years (Humphris 2010), with the highest number of migrations into South Africa, which is classified as an Upper Middle Income Country, and the United Kingdom, classified as a High Income country (United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs 2014). This research paper seeks to measure and compare quality of life in the homes of Zimbabweans in the three contexts mentioned above, in order to gauge what aspects of residential design impact positively or negatively on the end user’s quality of life. / Mini Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Architecture / MSc Applied Sciences in Architecture / Unrestricted

Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs, are a major public health concern. ACEs are defined as stressful or traumatic events in early life that range from parental separation to all forms of abuse and neglect, as well as household dysfunction (e.g., living in a home with substance misuse). The current body of scholarly literature shows that ACEs have long lasting effects on both physical and mental health through a person’s life. Research also illustrates a dose-response relationship between the number of ACEs and the number of risk behaviors, such as substance misuse, that a person may exhibit. Quality of life refers to a person’s self-perceived well-being and includes mental, emotional, physical, and sexual health. Quality of life, synonymous with well-being is associated with numerous health benefits including reduced risk of disease, better immune function, and increased life expectancy. This study seeks to determine if quality of life is a protective factor against substance misuse in adults who report ACEs. In line with the current body of knowledge, we hypothesize that adults within the study sample with a higher number of ACEs will exhibit higher rates of tobacco use, alcohol use, and drug use. We also hypothesize that participants with ACEs who rate a higher quality of life score will be less likely to use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs; as compared to those who rate a lower quality of life. Participants (N=766, age 18-55) were recruited through the REACH (Religion, Emotions, and Current Health) survey study. Data on ACEs will be collected from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Questionnaire which measures the number of traumatic experiences during the first eighteen years of life. Data on substance use will be collected via the Tobacco Questionnaire dichotomously (yes or no), the AUDIT scale on alcohol use which measures the frequency and quantity of consumption, and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) which measures drug use in the last twelve months. Quality of Life will be measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life WHOQOL-BREF. Quality of life will also be examined using two subscales, overall quality of life and perceived social support. All data was collected via self-reporting. Bivariate and multivariate analyses will be conducted using SPSS. To examine the potential moderating effect of quality of life, a hierarchical multiple regression will be conducted, specifically the simple moderation from the PROCESS macro for SPSS. We predict that those who perceive a higher quality of life, despite early life adversity, will report less frequency in alcohol, tobacco, and drug consumption. Conversely, we predict that those who perceive a lower quality of life will exhibit higher rates of health-related risk behaviors, specifically substance misuse.

Bakgrund: Hypotyreos är en av världens vanligaste sjukdomar som drabbar cirka tio procent av befolkningen. Sjukdomen har i Sverige fördubblats från 2006 till 2017 framförallt bland kvinnor mellan 20−40 år. Hypotyreos är en endokrin, kronisk sjukdom som innebär minskad produktion av tyreoideahormoner vilket påverkar kroppens normala funktioner och utan behandling kan det leda till andra kroniska sjukdomstillstånd. Personer med hypotyreos kan dock oberoende av behandling känna ihållande symtom som påverkar deras hälsa. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att beskriva vad som påverkar livskvaliteten hos personer med hypotyreos. Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie utfördes genom att granska och analysera tio artiklar som relaterade till syftet. Resultatet från artiklarna sammanställdes till fyra kategorier vilka belyste faktorer som påverkade livskvaliteten hos personer med hypotyreos. Resultat: Att leva med hypotyreos innebär en påverkan på livskvaliteten för många personer då de har kvarstående symtom trots behandling. Resultatet visade att trötthet, övervikt och viktuppgång, psykisk ohälsa och behandlingen var faktorer som bidrog till en försämrad livskvalitet. Konklusion/Implikation: Forskning kring livskvalitet hos personer med hypotyreos bör vidareutvecklas för att öka sjuksköterskans kunskap om sjukdomen och bidra till en utveckling av omvårdnaden. / Background: Hypothyroidism is one of the most common diseases in the world, affecting about ten percent of the population. The disease has doubled in Sweden from 2006 to 2017, especially among women between the ages of 20−40 years. Hypothyroidism is an endocrine, chronic disease which means reduced production of thyroid hormones which affects the body's normal functions and without treatment it can lead to other chronic disease states. However, people with hypothyroidism, regardless of treatment, can feel persistent symptoms that affect their health. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe what affects the quality of life of people with hypothyroidism. Method: A general literature study was conducted by reviewing and analyzing ten articles related to the purpose. The results from the articles were compiled into four categories which highlighted factors that affected the quality of life of people with hypothyroidism. Results: Living with hypothyroidism has an impact on the quality of life for many people as they have persistent symptoms despite treatment. The results showed that fatigue, overweight and weight gain, mental illness and treatment were factors that contributed to a reduced quality of life. Conclusion/Implication: Research on quality of life in people with hypothyroidism should be further developed to increase the nurse's knowledge of the disease and contribute to the development of nursing.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that significantly lessens health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A better understanding of HRQoL is needed to inform holistic and patient-centered treatments for schizophrenia. The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct an in-depth exploration of HRQoL in people with schizophrenia. The dissertation includes three components. The first component is an integrative literature review aimed at identifying factors associated with physical quality of life (QoL) in people with schizophrenia. The review reveals that symptoms of schizophrenia, depression, obesity or body mass index, and physical activity are associated with physical QoL in this population. The second and third components are based on illness narratives of 20 people with schizophrenia who had participated in a larger study of individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness. The second component of the dissertation is a qualitative descriptive study conducted to describe common HRQoL concerns in people with schizophrenia. The results indicate that these concerns were related to social relationships, psychiatric symptoms, psychiatric care, and employment. The third component of the dissertation is a parallel convergent mixed-methods study conducted to explore whether computerized lexical analysis (CLA) of illness narratives of people with schizophrenia can reveal their HRQoL concerns. CLA is an automatized process that counts words in text data and sorts them into pre-defined word categories. The results provide preliminary support for the potential use of CLA to efficiently assess HRQoL in people with schizophrenia as the CLA identified some of the HRQoL concerns that had been identified in the prior qualitative descriptive study. The results of the three studies reveal the complexity of the phenomenon of HRQoL in people with schizophrenia and can inform the development of strategies to identify and promote HRQoL in this population.

Bakgrund I Sverige får varje år cirka 1 000 personer diagnosen multipel skleros (MS) och ungefär 28 000 har sjukdomen. 80 procent av de som insjuknar får symtom som yttrar sig som energilöshet, svårigheter att koncentrera sig, försvagad mental styrka och sänkt livskvalitet, återhämtningstiden är också längre än vid annan trötthet. Det finns mycket som personen med MS kan göra i form av egenvård både fysiskt och psykiskt, Ökad fysisk aktivitet och även mental träning, har visat sig effektivt mot fatigue, ju mer en person tränar desto piggare blir denne. Syfte  Beskriva personer med MS erfarenheter av sin livskvalitet efter att ha utövat olika former av träning regelbundet. Regelbunden fysisk aktivitet innebär att, alla vuxna bör vara fysiskt aktiva under veckan, både vardagar och helger. Bäst effekt har träningsformer som innehåller både fysisk och mental träning (Folkhälsomyndigheten.se. 2021-10-04). Metod  En beskrivande litteraturstudie av 12 vetenskapliga artiklar med kvantitativ ansats granskades och analyserades. Huvudresultat Deltagarnas erfarenhet av fysiska aktiviteter var att dessa förbättrade livskvalitén och fysiska funktioner hos de som deltog i studien. Vilken träningsform och vilken intensitet den utövades med påverkade resultaten.  Slutsatser Deltagarna i studiernas erfarenhet av träningen var att livskvaliteten förbättrades, både fysiskt och mentalt. Olika träningsformer påverkade resultaten beroende på tyngden på träningen och sjuksköterskan kan ha en stor roll gällande motivering, utbildning och guidning till ett sunt och hälsobringande levnadsätt. Nyckelord Multiple sclerosis, wellbeing och quality of life.

Bakgrund Endometrios är en sjukdom där livmoderslemhinna lokaliseras utanför livmodern som resulterar i en inflammatorisk process. Vanliga symtom inkluderar allvarlig smärta under menstruation och ägglossning, förstoppning, diarré och infertilitet. Hälso-relaterad livskvalitet definieras som hur mycket hälsoproblemet påverkar det vardagliga livet och hur stor möjlighet personen har att leva ett, enligt denna, tillfredsställande liv. Vårdande möten behöver tre nyckelfaktorer för att skapa trygghet, att patienten blir bemött med empati och lyssnad på, får personlig utformad information samt kompetens inom medicinteknik. Syfte Syftet var att belysa hur livskvaliteten påverkas hos kvinnor med diagnosen endometrios. Metod Icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt som inkluderade 15 originalartiklar med både kvalitativ och kvantitativ ansats. Artiklar hittades under sökningar av PubMed och CINAHL med användning av Booelsk söklogik. En kvalitetsgranskning gjordes på alla inkluderade artiklar med hjälp av Sophiahemmet högskolas bedömningsunderlag för kvalitetsgranskning. Analysen genomfördes med hjälp av en integrerad litteraturöversikt. Resultat Fyra huvudteman identifierades under sammanställningen av resultaten och de var livskvalitet kopplat till mötet med omvärlden, livskvalitet kopplat till sexlivet, livskvalitet kopplat till karriären och livskvalitet kopplat till psykiskt mående. Den mest centrala aspekten som påverkade kvinnor med endometrios liv var smärta. Smärtan påverkade arbetslivet negativt, det sociala livet och intima relationer påverkades också negativt och smärtan var en stor psykisk påfrestning. Slutsats Denna litteraturöversikt visade att kvinnor med endometrios har sämre livskvalitet jämfört med kvinnor utan sjukdomen. Deras liv påverkades i flera aspekter, deras sociala liv, intima relationer, psykiskt mående samt karriären påverkades negativt. Det framkom även att ett bra bemötande från hälso- och sjukvården men även från andra människor minskade lidandet hos kvinnan och förbättrade hennes livskvalitet. / Background Endometriosis is an illness where endometrium is found outside of the uterus resulting in an inflammatory process. Common symptoms include severe pain during menstruation and ovulation, constipation, diarrhoea and infertility. Health related quality of life is defined as how much everyday life is affected and how large the possibility is of the person living, according to them, a satisfactory life. Caring encounters need three key aspects to create security, the patient being met with empathy and listened to, get personally designed information and competence in medical technology.  Aim The aim was to illustrate how quality of life is affected in women with the diagnosis endometriosis.  Method Non-systematic review including 15 original articles with both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Articles were found during searches of PubMed and CINAHL using a Boolean approach. A quality review of all articles included was conducted using Sophiahemmet University assessment basis for scientific classification and quality. Analysis was conducted using the integrative review method. Results Four main themes were identified during the compilation of the results, and those were quality of life related to the meeting with the surrounding world, quality of life related to sex life, quality of life related to career and quality of life related to psychological being. The most central aspect that affected women with endometriosis lives was pain. The pain affected working life negatively, the social life and intimate relationships was also negatively affected, and the pain was a great mental strain. Conclusions This literature review showed that women with endometriosis has a lower quality of life compared to women without the disease. Their lives were affected in multiple aspects, their social lives, intimate relationships, psychological being and the career was negatively affected. It became evident that a good encounter with healthcare but also with other people lessened the suffering of the women and improved her quality of life.

Purpose: The relationship between racial disparities and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of lung cancer patients is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to quantify the overall HRQoL of lung cancer patients and compare differences in HRQoL among racial groups in the United States. Methods: We analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS), a population-based national cross-sectional study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The BRFSS is conducted annually in all 50 states and collects information on demographics, health behaviors, health-related experiences, health conditions, use of medications, and use of preventive services. Three HRQoL scores (unhealthy days per month, frequent mental distress, fair/poor health) were generated using the four Healthy Days Measures questions that have been validated as HRQoL measures by previous research. Results: We found that the HRQoL measures of the Non-Hispanic Black group were not statistically different from those of the Non-Hispanic White group for any of the three measures examined. However, the Hispanic group (OR = 3.14, 95%CI=1.40 – 7.02) and Other races (OR = 1.85, 95%CI=1.04-3.27) had significantly higher odds of frequent mental distress when compared to the Non-Hispanic White group. Conclusions: Quality of life among lung cancer patients is a heavily under-researched area of the cancer survivorship experience. Rarer, is data examining specifically how racial disparities affect the quality of life of lung cancer survivors. More research is needed to examine this important topic to create a foundation for more beneficial lung cancer interventions in the future.

Bakgrund: Hälsorelaterad livskvalitet är av stor betydelse för välbefinnandet hos den åldrande befolkningen, och styrketräning kan vara en potentiell metod att förbättra den hälsorelaterade livskvaliteten hos äldre individer. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt är att sammanställa effekterna av regelbunden styrketräning på hälsorelaterad livskvalitet hos personer över 60 år. Metod: En systematisk litteraturöversikt genomfördes i den medicinska databasen PubMed, innehållande randomiserade kontrollerade studier publicerade på engelska under de senaste 10 åren. Studierna inkluderade äldre individer (minst 60 år) och jämförde styrketräning med en kontrollgrupp utan intervention. Studiernas enskilda kvalitet granskades med TESTEX och studiernas sammanlagda evidens bedömdes med GRADEstud. Resultat: Åtta studier med ett totalt deltagarantal på 542 inkluderades. Kvaliteten på studierna varierade från 7-14 av 15 poäng på TESTEX-skalan varav 12 poäng ansågs visa på hög tillförlitlighet. Endast 4 av studierna ansågs vara av hög tillförlitlighet och inkluderades i det sammanlagda resultatet. Evidensstyrkan av de sammanlagda studierna blev i sin tur låg ++, då det förekom bristande samstämmighet och precision i studierna. Tre av 4 studier som inkluderades i det sammanlagda resultatet visade på en positiv effekt av styrketräning på hälsorelaterad livskvalitet, den fjärde studien visade inte några statistiskt signifikanta mellangruppsskillnader. Slutsats: Regelbunden styrketräning kan ha en positiv effekt på hälsorelaterad livskvalitet hos äldre individer, men mer forskning krävs för att dra definitiva slutsatser. Ytterligare högkvalitativa randomiserade studier behövs för att stärka evidensen och fastställa rekommendationer för styrketräning hos äldre. / Background: Health-related quality of life is essential for the well-being of the agingpopulation, and resistance training is a potential approach to enhance the health-relatedquality of life in older individuals. Aim: This literature review aims to summarize the effects of resistance training onhealth-related quality of life in individuals aged 60 and above. Method: A systematic literature review was conducted in the medical database PubMed,including randomized controlled trials published in English within the past 10 years. Theincluded studies involved older individuals (at least 60 years) and compared resistancetraining to a non intervention control group. The quality of the individual studies wereexamined using TESTEX and the evidence of the combined studies results was determinedusing GRADEstud. Results: Eight studies were included with a total of 542 participants. The quality of theindividual studies varied from 7-14 out of 15 points on the TESTEX-scale wherein 12 pointswas considered to show high reliability.Only four of them were considered to be of high quality and were included in the summarizedresult. The combined evidence was deemed as low ++, due to the studies lack of consensusand precision. Three out of four studies included in the summarization found a positive effectof resistance training on health-related quality of life, while the fourth one did not show anystatistically significant differences. Conclusion: Consistent resistance training may have a positive effect on health-relatedquality of life in older individuals, but more research is needed to draw definitiveconclusions. Additional high-quality randomized trials are needed to strengthen the evidenceand establish recommendations for resistance training in the elderly.

No description available.

Background. Subjective quality of life (SQOL) is increasingly gaining attention in psychiatric practice and research. To date, few studies have examined the SQOL in outpatients with schizophrenia in China. / Conclusions. Despite considerable differences between the two sites in terms of socio-cultural background, health care delivery and the economic conditions of the subjects, the SQOL did not differ significantly between HK and BJ. SQOL was more strongly related to the severity of depressive symptoms and had only weak association with socio-demographic factors. / Method. In the psychiatric outpatient services of two university-affiliated teaching hospitals in BJ and HK, 522 (264 in BI and 258 in HK) clinically stable outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia (age: 18-60 years) were randomly selected according to the same inclusion and exclusion criteria. The two samples were matched according to age, sex, educational level, and length of illness. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was confirmed on the basis of a chart review followed by a diagnostic interview on both sites by the candidate. Socio-demographic data were collected and clinical characteristics including psychotic and depressive symptoms, drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects (EPS), and SQOL were assessed by the candidate. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the SQOL and its four domains between the two sites after controlling for the effect of the clinical condition of the subjects. Bi-variate correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between SQOL and socio-demographic and clinical data. / Objectives of the study. This study compared SQOL in schizophrenia patients living with their families in Hong Kong (HK) and Beijing (BI) and explored the relationship between SQOL and socio-demographic and clinical factors. / Results. There was no significant difference in SQOL and its domains between the two cohorts after controlling for the effect of other confounding variables. Length of illness, history of suicide attempts, positive, negative, depressive and anxiety symptoms and EPS were all significantly correlated with SQOL. Multiple regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms predicted all SQOL domains while positive symptoms predicted the psychological, the social relationship and environmental SQOL domains. Married status predicted the social relationship SQOL domain and length of illness predicted the environmental SQOL domain. / Xiang Yu-tao. / "October 2006." / Advisers: G. S. Ungvari; W. K. Tang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: B, page: 5131. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-122). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.