Quality of Life Assessment in Intestinal Stoma Patients in the Saudi Population: A Cross- sectional Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND A stoma requires a patient's lifestyle modifications and mental adjustment. It may hinder certain Islamic rituals that new appliances might overcome. The study aimed at measuring the quality of life in the modern era of stoma care in patients with unique sociocultural characteristics. METHODS Patients with an intestinal stoma for > 3 weeks were included. A modified City of Hope QoL ostomy questionnaire was used with dichotomous scoring on a 0 to 10 scale; rated 0-3 as severe, 4-6 as moderate, and 7-10 as severe. Data were analyzed by student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS The response rate was 46%, with 108 patients responding. The mean age was 40.8 years, and the male-to-female ratio 1.2:1. QoL score and that in physical and spiritual domains were 6. In the social domain, it was 7, and in the psychological, 5. The impact was severe in 2%, moderate in 61%, and minimal in 37%. Younger patients, women, and those with benign diseases or without a job had lower scores. 90% of the patients had difficulty performing religious activities, resulting in a lower score. Regression analysis showed dietary and religious factors, leak, foul odor, constipation/diarrhea, poor stoma site, depression, anxiety, and concerns for disease, future, or pouch problems as the significant quality of life predictors. CONCLUSION Stoma patients had multiple impediments to their life quality despite advances in stoma care. Among these, physical and religious issues were significant, but psychological factors were the leading ones. The findings indicate adopting a holistic approach to managing stoma patients to let them have fulfilling lives.