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For the past four decades, there is no evidence of a consensus on the suitable community-based rehabilitation (CBR) evaluation methodologies. To this end, the purpose of this study is to provide a narrative review on CBR evaluations and the potential of photovoice method when used alone and when used in combination with quality of life assessment tools as CBR evaluation methodologies.

A narrative review was undertaken, but including some aspects of scoping review methodology.

Thirty-three full-text articles were included for review. Three key findings were an overview of the evolution of CBR evaluation; the use of photovoice method in CBR evaluation and the use of photovoice method in combination with quality of life assessment tools in CBR evaluation.

Photovoice methodology was found to be participatory in nature and as has the potential to elicit the experiences of persons with disabilities. However, photovoice falls short of measuring the quality of life of persons with disabilities, thus will need to be collaborated with another assessment tool. A combination of photovoice and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF and WHOQOL-Dis assessment has a potential to give an adequate representation of the voices of persons with disabilities and their quality of life.

There is need for changes in CBR evaluation methodologies in response to the evolution of disability models from medical model to human rights model. Thus CBR evaluation methodologies should embrace the diversity among persons with disabilities in interpreting life experiences and quality of life.

The purpose of this paper is to test the effectiveness of social dance exercise and social support program to improve quality of life (QOL) for older adults in Thailand.

A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test research design was used. The participants were 102 older adults selected by systematic sampling technique. Participants were assigned using the matched-pair technique by age, physical fitness test by the Time up and Go test into intervention and control groups of 51 subjects each. Intervention was conducted for 12 weeks, three times weekly, to improve physical, psychosocial and spiritual domains leading to enhanced QOL as measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL–BREF–THAI) assessment parameter. Data on QOL were collected before and after a 12-week training period.

Most adults were between 70 and 79 years old (67 percent). After program completion, before and after mean QOL scores for the intervention group at 60.15 and 95.82, respectively, were statistically significant with p-value<0.05. Post-program QOL shown by the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05).

Application of social dance exercise and social support program is an alternative to traditional methods to improve QOL and maintain functional capacity for older adults.

Lactose intolerance is lactose digestive disorder due to lactase enzyme deficiency. This can affect the quality of life by restricting the intake of certain foods. The aim of this study is to show the lactose intolerance to the restriction in food intake and quality of life.

This study was conducted with adults aged 18–60 years. A survey was used to gather information on the demographic characteristics of the patients and their symptoms related to lactose intolerance. In addition, the Visual Analog Scale was administered to identify common symptoms and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-Bref Quality of Life Scale to determine their quality of life.

The average quality of life subscale scores was 56.25 ± 14.06 for physical, 58.29 ± 11.72 for mental, 63.28 ± 21.35 for social and 62.36 ± 16.37 for environmental. When VAS scores obtained for the common digestive system symptoms in lactose intolerance were compared with Quality of Life scores; it was found that physical life quality scores decreased (r = −0.239, p = 0.030) as the complaints of diarrhea increased and physical and environmental life quality decreased (r = −0.316, p = 0.004/r = −0.277, p = 0.012, respectively) as abdominal pain increased.

People reduce dairy consumption due to digestive system complaints. Therefore, it is important to inform the people about the effects of lactose intolerance because discomfort caused by intolerance can affect nutrient intake and lower the quality of life.

Medication adherence contributes significantly to symptom remission, recovery and wellbeing in mental illnesses. We evaluated how medication adherence correlates with clinico-demographic factors and quality of life (QoL) in a sample of Nigerians with schizophrenia. This descriptive cross-sectional study involved 160 randomly selected participants with confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia based on MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Data on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of participants were collected with a questionnaire. Medication adherence was assessed with Morisky Medication Adherence Questionnaire, and participants completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-BREF. The mean age of participants was 38.54 (±11.30) years, and all the participants were on antipsychotics, but only 45% were adherent to their medication. Out of all the participants, 45 (28.2%) considered their overall QoL to be good, 97 (60.6%) considered theirs to be fair, while 18 (11.2%) reported poor QoL. Medication non-adherence correlated negatively with good QoL across multiple dimensions including overall QoL (r=−0.175), health satisfaction (r=-0.161), physical (r=-0.186) and psychological domain (r=-0.175). Again, participant's age (r=−0.190) and age of onset of illness (r=-0.172) correlated negatively with medication non-adherence, and a trend towards relapse delay with medication adherence was also observed (r=-0.155). The effect size of these correlations were however small. Our findings suggest a link between medication adherence and QoL in schizophrenia, such that strategy that addresses medication non-adherence and its determinants may have potential benefits on wellbeing. Further hypotheses-driven studies are desirable.

Although health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become an important outcome, specifically in regard to the impact of illness and treatment in patients with depression, few studies have explored the HRQOL of patients from different types of hospitals. This study aimed at examining a change in HRQOL of patients from various types of hospitals

A repeated measure was used in this study. Thirty participants in psychiatric outpatient units per center from the different types of hospitals, including a psychiatric hospital, regional hospital, general hospital and community hospital, were assessed with the Thai version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF-THAI) questionnaire at the first visit, and after the 6th and 12th weeks of the treatment course.

The HRQOL scores for the participants were increased in each type of hospital from their first visit to the 6th week and 12th week (p < 0.001; except for the 6th week in the regional hospital, p < 0.01).

The findings reflected HRQOL in patients with depression in terms of the resources available in different types of hospitals that could be used as baseline data for the development of Thai mental health service systems.

In spite of being a significant public health concern, quality of life (QoL) amongst elderly in nursing home (NH) settings is rarely analyzed. The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of QoL and factors influencing QoL amongst elderly NH residents in Indonesia.

A survey was conducted amongst 181 elderly at three NHs in three districts in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia. Purposive sampling was used for the study site and sample collection. Face-to-face interviews were performed using the WHO Quality of Life BREF Indonesian version questionnaire to assess elderly QoL. Multivariate linear regression was performed to determine the factors influencing the QoL amongst elderly NH residents.

The response rate was 66.3 percent. A total of 64.1 percent of elderly had a fair level of QoL, whereas 16.6 percent still had a poor level of QoL. A total of 86.7 percent of elderly lived in an NH due to compulsion, and more than half (53.6 percent) perceived inadequacy of care. The QoL was significantly low amongst those who live in NHs due to compulsion, no social support resources, not receiving any kind of support, having three chronic diseases and perceived inadequacy of care (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that perceived adequacy of care reasons for living in NH was associated with QoL (p<0.001).

Perceived adequacy of care and reason for living in an NH were highlighted as predictors of QoL amongst elderly NH residents. Improving adequate healthcare services and developing treatment strategies to enforce the adaptation process is required in order to maintain the QoL in elderly NH residents.

An aging society is a growing global reality resulting in an increasing number of older workers, especially in community enterprises. It is important to understand factors that influence the mental health and quality of life (QOL) of these older workers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of personal, work, and mental health factors on the QOL among older workers in community enterprises.

This cross-sectional study examined the mental health and QOL of 387 older workers from three industries: food production, handicraft, and farm-related work. These participants formed a representative sample of the 19,200 members of the 1,184 groups in the community enterprise sector in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Stratified random sampling technique was used. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis was used to examine the factors associated with QOL. A multiple regression statistical model was used to examine the QOL predicting factors.

The response rate for this study was 93.25 percent. The majority of participants were female (73.4 percent). The majority of older workers were educated to primary school educational level (81.4 percent). The ratio of workers within each project included farm-related work (36.7 percent), handicraft (37.7 percent) and food production (25.6 percent). Most older workers (90.2 percent) had normal mental health based on their GHQ screening. The overall QOL average score was 88.43 (SD 10.43). The results suggested that the QOL is related to age, income, somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, severe depression, and mental health problems. Additionally, multiple regression analysis indicated social dysfunction and income were significant predictors for the QOL of older workers with R²=0.118, F=15.53 (p<0.001).

With the results showing associations between personal factors and work factors relating to QOL, it is important for health professionals to pay attention to older workers’ work environments, financial issues, and mental health.

Qualitative participatory methods are needed to measure the effectiveness of the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program in Namibia. The study explored the experiences of CBR volunteers in evaluating CBR program in Namibia through the use of photovoice. Further the study assessed the strengths and limitations of utilizing photovoice method as an assessment tool for CBR evaluation.

The study employed a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design. Data was collected through the photovoice method. Two CBR sites and 16 participants who were CBR volunteers were purposively selected. Data was collected and analysis was conducted simultaneously utilizing the photovoice method and themes were determined using WHO CBR matrix.

Various experiences were elicited regarding participants' experiences in line with the five components of the CBR matrix. Most experiences were reported regarding the health component, and the education component had the least experiences reported. Methodological strength and weaknesses as well as implications for practice are revealed. Further research can explore the benefits of combining photovoice with other data collection methods.

Sustainability of CBR programs depends on community ownership, empowerment and government funding. Photovoice is participatory and hence gives community ownership and empowerment. Evidence from photovoice can enable persons with disabilities to formulate action plans that can advocate their concerns with policymakers and justify more funding for CBR programs.

Although social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common mental disorder, it is often under diagnosed and under treated. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence, severity, disability, and quality of life towards SAD among students of Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a stratified sample of 500 undergraduate students to identify the prevalence of SAD, its correlates, related disability, and its impact on the quality life. All participants completed the Social Phobia Inventory, Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, and the WHO Quality of Life – BREF questionnaire. Of 476 students, 25.8% were screened positive for SAD. About 47.2% of the students had mild symptoms, 42.3% had moderate to marked symptoms, and 10.5% had severe to very severe symptoms of SAD. Students who resulted positive for SAD reported significant disabilities in work, social, and family areas, and this has adversely affected their quality of life as compared to those who screened negative for SAD. Students reported several clinical manifestations that affected their functioning and social life. Acting, performing or giving a talk in front of an audience was the most commonly feared situation. Blushing in front of people was the most commonly avoided situation. Since the present study showed a marked prevalence of SAD among students, increased disability, and impaired quality of life, rigorous efforts are needed for early recognition and treatment of SAD.

This study aims to examine the effects of a self-management program (SMP) on self-care behavior, blood pressure and quality of life among older adults with uncontrolled hypertension.

A quasi-experimental design with repeated measures was conducted in two primary care units in Krabi, Thailand. One hundred and fifty-six older adults with uncontrolled hypertension were selected based on the inclusion criteria and divided into experimental and control groups with 78 participants in each. The experimental group received the SMP, including the intervention related to the self-management process (from the 1st to 4th weeks) and a follow-up phase (from the 5th to 16th weeks). The control group received standard care. The outcomes were measured over time, including self-care behavior (baseline, 4th and 16th weeks), blood pressure (baseline, 4th, 8th, 12th and 16th weeks) and quality of life (baseline and 16th week).

The generalized estimating equations showed that the SMP, compared with the control group, statistically significantly improved self-care behavior (p < 0.001), decreased blood pressure (p < 0.001) and improved quality of life (p < 0.001) at the 16th week.

The SMP improved the self-care behavior, decreased blood pressure and improved the quality of life among older adults with uncontrolled hypertension. Registered nurses could administer this program for long-term benefits and help reduce the burden on primary care services.