This descriptive study aims to evaluate the quality of life in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) treatment and to identify the daily activities that may impair their quality of life. We investigated 125 chronic kidney failure patients under hemodialysis treatment by means of the Medical Outcome Survey-Short-Form 36 (SF-36), and their daily activities, by means of semi-structured interviews. For statistical data analysis, a significance level of 5% was used. The results evidenced that these individuals' quality of life is impaired, with lower scores for physical, emotion and vitality aspects. There was a negative correlation between time spent on HD and the physical component (r= - 0.75) and between hemodialysis time and daily activities such as work, housework and practical activities. Physical and leisure activities were the most affected in the general sample as well as in the one stratified by gender.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate emotional factors such as anxiety and depression, and the Quality of Life of individuals with chronic persistent pain after amputation in order to identify the interindividual variation in response to pain. METHODS: This was a descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional study with quantitative approach. Twenty seven patients were interviewed. The instruments have rated the sociodemographic, clinical and economic profile (semistructured interview) and the Quality of Life (generic Quality of Life questionnaire SF-12) and emotional factors (HAD scale) of the interviewed patients. RESULTS: It was identified that the most frequent amputations occur in males aged 18-38 years and are related to occupational accidents. The Quality of Life was compromised in both components of physical and mental health. Furthermore, anxiety levels were more prevalent in the range from aged 18 to 38 years old, while the levels of depression were most prevalent among the elderly (60 to 80 years old). CONCLUSION: The impairment of Quality of Life and change in the perception of body image has a major impact on adherence to the rehabilitation program and the functional prognosis. Therapeutic orientation is, therefore, critical after this type of surgery. Level of Evidence II, Descriptive and Exploratory Study.

This study identifies the socio-demographic and clinical factors of patients with irreversible colostomy secondary to colorectal cancer and correlates them with quality of life (QOL). It is a cross-sectional study. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected through interviews and the WHOQOL-bref to assess QOL. The sample comprised 60 patients. Most of the patients were male, elderly individuals, half were married and half did not have a sexual partner, with complete primary education, receiving up to two times the minimum wage, carried a stoma for three months on average, were instructed they would carry a stoma, but did not have their stoma marked prior to surgery. The average QOL score was 75.500, while the psychological, social and physical domains were the most affected. No statistically significant differences were found in QOL in relation to the following socio-demographic and clinical factors: female gender, low income, no sexual partners, and lack of instruction. The patients with an intestinal stoma presented a satisfactory QOL.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a painful condition of unknown etiology, highly prevalent, and associated with other conditions, which causes great impact on daily life and quality of life. Objective: To assess, due to the multifactorial character of the FMS, the discriminating power of instruments used to identify good indicators of self-assessment and self-knowledge. Patients and methods: This is a descriptive, exploratory, comparative, cross-sectional study with quantitative approach, and sample comprising a treatment group (T), diagnosed with FMS (n = 63) and a control group (C), undergoing interconsultation at the Pain Outpatient Clinic (n = 75). The following instruments were used: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ); visual analogue scale (VAS); McGill Pain Questionnaire; and the Post-Sleep Inventory (PSI). To evaluate the quality of life, Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) was used. Results: In the two groups, female gender predominated. The mean age of the sample was 42.3 ± 4.3 years, 45% were married, and the average schooling was 8 ± 3.5 years. The mean duration of pain was 3.2 years, and a mean time of two years were required for the clinical diagnosis of FMS in group T. Group T had higher levels of pain, anxiety, and depression, worse quality of sleep, less fl exibility, and worse quality of life, although some of these symptoms were also present in group C. Conclusions: All instruments had good discriminating power (P < 0.05), especially FIQ, VAS and PSI, whose areas under the ROC curve were greater.

Introdução. Na Síndrome de Down (SD), o processo de aprendizagem é complexo e exige um grau de suporte familiar e social. Os cuidadores podem enfrentar problemas e interferências na sua qualidade de vida. Objetivo. Este estudo de corte transversal objetivou avaliar o desempenho funcional de crianças com SD e a percepção da qualidade de vida de seus cuidadores. Método. Selecionaram-se 20 crianças com SD e seus cuidadores e, para comparação, outras 20 crianças com desenvolvimento normal, idades cronológicas de 2 a 8 anos, divididas em 2 subgrupos etários (2 a 4 e 5 a 8 anos), pertencentes à Equipe Ding Down — Funfarme/Famerp. Utilizaram-se como instrumentos: entrevista semi-estruturada, Inventário de Avaliação Pediátrica de Disfunção e Escala de Sobrecarga dos Cuidadores. Resultados. As crianças com SD de ambos os grupos apresentaram desempenho significativamente inferior nas três áreas de habilidades funcionais; entretanto, no grupo etário de 5 a 8 anos, essas diferenças não foram observadas na habilidade de mobilidade. Nos cuidadores, evidenciou-se que as variáveis Isolamento e Envolvimento emocional obtiveram os menores escores. Conclusão. O desempenho funcional das crianças com SD é limitado e os aspectos emocionais neste grupo de cuidadores estavam alterados, sendo um preditivo de sobrecarga, fazendo-se necessárias intervenções.