Health related quality of life in patients with essential hypertension and its influential factors in rural community of Three Gorge Dam area

ObjectiveTo evaluate the health-related quality of life(QOL)of patients with essential hypertension in rural community of Three Gorge Dam area and analyze the influential factors of QOL.MethodsThe study was based on a cross-section investigation by two stages cluster sampling which included a sample of 1363 inhabitants over 502 years old from the all 3098 investigated people in the area.The 1363 people consisted of the patients with first diagnosed essential hypertension and normotensive and we removed people with other disease.The QOL was measured by COOP/WONCA Charts and influential factors with questionnaire.Ordinal regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between the influential factors and QOL.ResultsThe hyperpietic with no "labelling effect" had poorer scores than normotensive group in physical fitness,daily activity,change in health and overall health domains and there were statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Furthermore,different levels and types of hypertension have different effect on the QOL of patients.The results of ordinal regression analysis showed that age,sex,single/divorced/widowed,overweight or obesity and high blood pressure have negative influence on QOL except for feeling domain,buthigher income and better education have positive influence.ConclusionThe person with essential hypertension had poorer scores of QOL than the normotensive and some factors influence the scores.People with higher level of the blood pressure had lower scores of more domains and different levels and types of blood pressure had negative effect on QOL.