Health-Related Quality of Life and Sleep Disorders in Patients With a Urostomy: Is There a Relationship?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sleep disorders in persons living with a urostomy.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

SUBJECTS AND SETTINGS: Eighty-six adults with a urostomy who were cared for in a stoma outpatient clinic of a hospital in Osaka, Japan, for at least 1 month before data collection, and who were attending support group meetings comprised the sample. The majority of participants (n= 68; 79.1%) were diagnosed with bladder cancer; the median time since ostomy surgery was 3.7 years.

METHODS: Participants were queried about demographic and pertinent clinical data; they also completed 2 instruments that measured HRQOL and sleep quality. All data were collected via interview. HRQOL was assessed using a Japanese language version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL). Sleep quality was evaluated using a Japanese language version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J). Demographic and clinical data were collected via a questionnaire designed for this study.

RESULTS: WHOQOL scores among persons living with a urostomy were significantly (P < .001) lower than scores among the general population in Japan. Forty-six participants (53.5%) had scores that were higher than 5.5, the cut-off point on the PSQI-J indicating reduced sleep quality. Scores on the PSQI-J were significantly negatively associated with the cumulative scores for WHOQOL scores (standardized partial regression coefficient -0.504, P < .001) even after adjustment based on all other variables.

CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest that persons with a urostomy have lower HRQOL and sleep quality than adults in the general population.