Abstract

Background: Humanistic outcomes such as Health related quality of life (HRQoL), optimism and coping strategies are measurable variables that differ across people, and the possibility that an individual’s HRQoL is closely associated to their personality traits and coping ability among other features does exist, this research therefore seeks to determine any association between these outcomes among outpatients.

Objectives: The main aim of the study was to assess the health-related quality of life, individual difference in generalized optimism versus pessimism and the different coping styles adopted by out-patients in a chosen Nigerian tertiary hospital.

Methods: This was a questionnaire based cross-sectional study which lasted for a period of 16 weeks. Four types of instruments were used in this study. First was a properly structured data form for collection of patients’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics, the other three were standard questionnaires used to assess self-reported health related quality of life, individual difference in optimism versus pessimism and finally copying strategies adopted by each outpatient. Data obtained from the various collection forms were scored through the stipulated algorithms and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 19.00. Basic descriptive statistics (frequencies, mean and standard deviation) was analysed to describe the main outcomes of the study. Inferential analysis such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Post hoc test was used to analyse the outcomes difference across groups/clinics. Multivariate regression was used to determine predictors of the end outcomes of the study.

Results: Average health related quality of life, percent optimism, percent engagement and percent disengagement scores (±SD) for total study participants are 71.2±23.3, 61.5±14.4, 78.8

±21.2 and 60.7 ±17.1 respectively. Across clinics, the mean health related quality of life, percent optimism, percent engagement and percent disengagement scores(±SD) where: Cardiology; 73.5±18.7, 63.0±16.8, 77.2±23.6 and 60.6±19.0, Endocrinology; 72.8±22.3, 61.0±13.3,

79.0±20.4 and 58.5±17.3, Gastroenterology; 67.6±22.4, 65.3±13.8, 87.6±18.0 and 59.0±17.0,

Nephrology; 65.1±30.7, 61.1±13.13, 75.9±22.2   and   64.0±16.2, Rheumatology;77.0±19.2,

56.1±13.2, 72.9±18.3 and 63.1±13.8 respectively.

Conclusion: Study outpatients adopted moderate optimism and a higher percentage of these patients actively engaged in the coping process, the result of this study does not demonstrate that dispositional optimism plays a significant role in adjustment to the disease. Disengagement coping and overall self-stated quality of life predicted health while higher educational level and smoking didn’t.