Effects of Sociodemographic Charecterictics Illness Process and Social Support on the Levels of Perceived Quality of Life in Veterans


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Yazıcıoğlu K., Duyan V., Karataş K., Ahmet Ö., Yılmaz B., Çamur Duyan G., ...More

MILITARY MEDICINE, vol.171, no.11, pp.1083-1088, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 171 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2006
  • Journal Name: MILITARY MEDICINE
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Page Numbers: pp.1083-1088
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Quality of life is a broad, complex, multidimensional concept

incorporating psychological, sociopsychologicat, economic,

philosophical, social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. As

accompanying or even constituting the concept of quality of

life, social support (empathic, informational, instrumental,

and reassurance support) has not been studied. This study

sought to determine the effects of sociodemographic characteristics,

illness process, and type of social support on the

quality of life levels of veterans hospitahzed in a rehabilitation

center. Seventy-nine veterans were involved in the study. None

of the sociodemographic characteristics of the veterans correlated

with the quality of life of the veterans except housing

conditions. The perceived quality of life scores of the veterans

who needed psychological help were lower than those of their

counterparts (p < 0.01). The quality of life scores of the veterans

were not different from those of the average Turkish population,

but veterans who had not received any type of social

support had lower quality of life scores (3.74 vs. 4.70). Veterans

who had empathic, informational, and reassurance social

support had higher quality of life scores than did those who

did not have these types of social support. Having tangible

social support did not change the quality of life scores. Our

findings indicate that social support has a greater impact on the

perceived quality of life than sociodemographic and medical factors

among the veterans.