Quality of life of people with chronic ulcers.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with chronic ulcers have physical, social, and psychological changes that directly affect their quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the quality of life and analyze the association between personal and health characteristics in patient quality of life for those with chronic ulcers.

METHOD: A cross-sectional study, nonprobabilistic. The questionnaire to evaluate personal and health characteristics and the Ferrans and Power Quality of Life Index-Wound Version were used for the data collection. The sample consisted of 200 patients with chronic ulcers of several etiologies (venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and mixed) recruited at the basic health units in two cities in the South of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

RESULTS: Overall, the study found that their quality of life was rated as good. There was a positive correlation between the different ages (P = 0.0165), number of children (P = 0.0083), and practice of religion (P = 0.0394) with quality of life.