A Descriptive, Cross-sectional Study to Assess Quality of Life and Sexuality in Turkish Patients with a Colostomy

A stoma affects personality, self-esteem, and body image, inevitably impacting lifestyle and quality of life (QOL). A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between May 1, 2015 and May 1, 2016 to evaluate the effect of a stoma on sexual function and QOL among patients receiving care in a general surgery clinic of a university hospital in the western region of Turkey. Eligibility requirements included patients willing to participate, > 18 years of age, with a colostomy for at least 4 months, who were married and/or with a sexual partner and in otherwise good physical and mental health with no rectal nerve damage or receiving radio-or chemotherapy. Data were collected during face-to-face interviews. Demographic variables (age, gender, body mass index [BMI], educational status, income level); and clinical information (duration of the precipitating disease, and stoma duration, cause, and type) were collected, and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) measure; the Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF); and a Stoma Quality of Life Scale (SQOLS) were completed. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Of the 57 study participants, 57.9% were > 60 years old (mean age: 59.81 +/- 10.12), more than half (57.92%) were male, 33.3% had a permanent stoma, and the mean duration of the stoma was 9.60 +/- 6.40 months. Scores for all 3 outcomes were low; mean IIEF score was 3.64 +/- 2.47 (range 2-10), mean IFSF score was 13.04 +/- 5.19 (range 9-29), and mean SQOLS was 45.10 +/- 18.88 (range 0-100). Eighteen (18) of the 33 men (54.5%) had severe, 5 (15.2%) had moderate, and 9 (27.3%) had mild erectile dysfunction. The IFSF total score for all female patients was < 30; all female patients experienced sexual dysfunction. A negative correlation between age and the SQOLS subscale sexuality/body image was found (rs = -0.305, P < .05). A positive correlation was found among BMI, erectile function (rs = 0.350, P < .05), sexual desire (rs = 0.474, P < .01), and intercourse satisfaction (rs = 0.385, P < .05). These study results provide reference data for future study and underscore the importance of assessing and addressing QOL and sexuality concerns among patients with a colostomy.