Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains most valued by urban IsiXhosa-speaking people

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to investigate and identify aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that are most valued by IsiXhosa-speaking people resident in underresourced areas of Cape Town, South Africa.

Methodology

Fifty-seven domains of HRQoL were identified as important through group discussions with IsiXhosa-speaking people. Participants randomly selected from the community (n = 601) and from individuals seeking medical attention at a local clinic (n = 102) graded the domains on a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 for “not at all important” to 10 for “ very important”. The domains were then mapped to the categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Results

The domains regarded as being most important were Food availability [9.5, standard deviation (SD) = 1.52), Owning a brick house (9.4, SD = 1.57), Access to medical services (9.4, SD = 1.55) and Family safety (9.4, SD = 1.7). Having no bodily pain ranked 40th. Environmental Factors were valued significantly more than the other two categories, and those related to Body Functions were valued higher than domains in the category of Activity and Participation.

Discussion and conclusion

Despite being asked specifically to answer the questions in relation to their health status, the participants apparently did not differentiate between general quality of life (QoL) and specific HRQoL. It appears that members of an underresourced community regard socioeconomic and service delivery aspects of their lives as integral to their perceived state of health. It may be that it is not possible to separate out factors relating to general QoL from those specifically related to HRQoL in an underresourced population, and such populations might not be suitable for inclusion in certain clinical trials where an improvement in HRQoL is the required outcome. Alternatively, if an HRQoL instrument is to be used to monitor the impact of medical interventions, the inclusion of Environmental Factors should be considered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mkoka, S., Jelsma, J., & Vaughan, J. (2003). The pitfalls of translation. South African Medical Journal, 93, 265–266.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Jelsma, J., Amosun, D., Mkoka, S., & Nieuwveld, J. (2004). The reliability and validity of the Xhosa version of the EQ-5D. Disability and Rehabilitation, 26, 103–108.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Jelsma, J., De Weerdt, W., De Cock, P., Mielke, J., & Mhundwa, K. (2002). The validity of the Shona Version of the EQ-5D quality of life measure. South African Journal of Physiotherapy, 58, 8–12.

    Google Scholar 

  4. O’Keefe, E. A., & Wood, R. (1996). The impact of human immunodeficiency virus infection on quality of life in a multiracial South African population. Quality of Life Research, 5, 275–280.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. World Health Organization. (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health—short version. Geneva: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Rosenbaum, P., & Stewart, D. (2004). The World Health Organization international classification of functioning, disability, and health: A model to guide clinical thinking, practice and research in the field of cerebral palsy. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 11, 5–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. City of Cape Town. (2005). Demographics. http://www.capetown.gov.za/home/demographics.asp (July 2005).

  8. City of Cape Town. (2006). City of Cape Town—census 2001–2006 suburbs. Cape Town. http://www.capetown.gov.za/censusinfo/Census2001-new/Suburbs/Khayelitsha.htm (17 October, 2007).

  9. Médecins Sans Frontières and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit University of Cape Town. (2003). Providing HIV services including antiretroviral therapy at primary health care clinics in resource-poor settings: The experience from Khayelitsha. Cape Town. http://www.msf.org/source/countries/africa/southafrica/2004/1000/khayelitsha1000.pdf (17 October, 2007).

  10. Jelsma, J., MacLean, E., Hughes, J., Tinise, X., & Darder, M. (2004). An investigation into the health related quality of life of individuals living with HIV who are receiving Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART). AIDS Care, 17, 579–588.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jelsma, J., Maart, S., Eide, A., Ka’toni, M., & Loeb, M. (2007). The determinants of health-related quality of life in urban and rural IsiXhosa-speaking people with disabilities. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 30, 119–126.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Lamers, L., McDonnell, J., Stalmeier, P., Krabbe, P., & Busschbach, J. (2006). The Dutch tariffs: Results and arguments for a cost-effective design for national EQ-5D valuation studies. Health Economics, 15, 1121–1131.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wilson, K. L., & Lizzio, A. (1997). The development, validation and application of the course experience questionnaire. Studies in Higher Education, 22, 33–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Feeny, D. H., & Torrance, G. W. (1989). Incorporating utility-based quality-of-life assessment measures in clinical trials. Two examples. Medical Care, 27, S190–S204.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Brooks, R., & EuroQol Group. (1996). EuroQol: The current state of play. Health Policy, 37, 53–72.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. World Health Organization. (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health—browser version. Geneva: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Stat Soft. (2004). Statistica.

  18. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum.

  19. Atijosan, O., Kuper, H., Rischewski, D., Simms, V., & Lavy, C. (2007). Musculoskeletal impairment survey in Rwanda: Design of survey tool, survey methodology, and results of the pilot study (a cross-sectional survey). BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 8, 30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Jelsma, J., Mielke, J., Powell, G., Fox, B., Weerdt, W. D., & Cock, P. D. (2002). Disability in an urban black community in Zimbabwe. Disability and Rehabilitation, 24, 851–859.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Statistics South Africa. (2005). Data census 2001: Primary tables Western Cape: Census 1996 and 2001 compared. In Statistics South Africa, 2005, Government of South Africa, Pretoria.

  22. Furlong, W. J., Feeny, D. H., Torrance, G. W., & Barr, R. D. (2001). Health Utilities Index (HUI) system for assessing health-related quality of life in clinical studies. Annals of Medicine, 33, 375–384.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Essink-Bot, M., Krabbe, P., Bonsel, G., & Aaronson, N. (1997). An empirical comparison of four generic health status measures. Medical Care, 35, 522–537.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Jelsma, J., Chivaura, V., De Cock, P., & De Weerdt, W. (2000). A bridge between cultures: A report on the process of translating the EQ-5D instrument into Shona. South African Journal of Physiotherapy, 56, 3–9.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Paul, D. (1999). Biological and biopsychosocial models of health and disease in dentistry. Journal of Canadian Dental Association, 65, 496–497.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank S. Mgqwaki, N. Ndongeni and K. Sisusa for assistance in data collection, Prof. D. McIntyre for advice and the Medical Research Council of South Africa and the University of Cape Town for providing funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa

    Jennifer Jelsma, Siviwe Mkoka & Seyi Ladele Amosun

Authors
  1. Jennifer Jelsma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Siviwe Mkoka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seyi Ladele Amosun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer Jelsma.

 

 

Appendix 1 Rank ordering of all aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) listed in descending order (n = 703). ICF World Health Organisation (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, GU genitourinary
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jelsma, J., Mkoka, S. & Amosun, S.L. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains most valued by urban IsiXhosa-speaking people. Qual Life Res 17, 347–355 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9304-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9304-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation