Predictors of quality of life in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis

Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the predictors quality of life (QoL) in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Method. The study was an outpatient, questionnaire-based poll, carried out from June 2018 to May 2019. The study included a group of 198 women, aged 72.31 +/- 8.59 years, with diagnosed postmenopausal osteoporosis, treated in two osteoporosis clinics in the city of Lodz (Poland). The inclusion criteria were as follows: a diagnosed osteoporosis in the patients' medical records according to the ICD-10 - M81.0 and no chronic diseases which would require systematic treatment. The paper utilized the following tools: the Polish version of the QUALEFFO-41 quality of life scale, the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the author's own survey. The data were analyzed with the use of the multiple linear regression. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica 13.0 software. Results. The average result of the QUALEFFO-41 was 40.26 +/- 16.92 points. An analysis of particular QUALEFFO-41 domains revealed the lowest quality of life in the mental function domain (48.49 +/- 18.06 points). The domain of activities of daily living was assessed twice as well compared to the domain of mental functions. Marital status, education and financial situation had a statistically significant impact on the quality of life (p <0.05). The analysis showed that the pain expressed on the VAS scale, pain waking from sleep, taking sleeping pills, and older age of the respondents deteriorate the quality of life. Conclusions. The analysis showed that Polish women with postmenopausal osteoporosis enjoy an average quality of life. The quality of life of chronically ill patients and pain severity on the VAS scale are not routinely or commonly assessed in Poland.