Social support: an important factor for quality of life in women with hirsutism

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Kristofer Årestedt³  Eva Benzein¹  Magnus Lindberg²  Maria Palmetun Ekbäck⁴ 

[1] Department of Health and Caring Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden;Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, SE 70182, Sweden;Palliative Research Centre, Ersta Sköndal University College and Ersta Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden;Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Örebro County Council, Örebro, Sweden

关键词: Social support;    Quality of life;    Hirsutism;    Health;    Association;   

Others  :  1133907
DOI  :  10.1186/s12955-014-0183-3

 received in 2014-05-13, accepted in 2014-12-02,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Women with hirsutism have reported imparied health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Social support is a factor that might increase HRQoL in chronic diseases, but little is known about this association among women with hirsutism.

Aim

The aim of the study was to describe social support and explore its association with HRQoL among women with hirsutism. A further aim was to compare HRQoL in women with hirsutism with a Swedish normal population.

Methods

A questionnaire including socio-demographic questions, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and a self-estimation of hairiness using the Ferriman-Gallway scale (F-G scale) was answered by 127 women with hirsutism.

Results

Multiple regression analyses showed significant associations between social support and all health dimensions in the SF-36, also after the model was adjusted for age, hairiness and body mass index. Compared to the normal Swedish population, women with hirsutism reported significantly lower HRQoL in all dimensions of the SF-36 (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

There is a significant positive association between social support and HRQoL, demonstrating its importance for the ability to adapt to problems associated with hirsutism. As women with hirsutism reported poorer HRQoL compared to the normal population, social support may be a factor to consider in clinical practice.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Ekback et al.; licensee BioMed Central.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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