HRQOL

Question 1

What is health-related quality of life (HRQOL)?

Answer 1

HRQOL is a subjective, multidimensional concept that includes physical, mental, emotional, and social functioning. It focuses on how health impacts a person’s quality of life beyond traditional measures like life expectancy and morbidity.

Question 2

How does well-being connect to HRQOL?

Answer 2

Well-being reflects the positive aspects of a person’s life, such as positive emotions and life satisfaction, and it is a component of HRQOL. While HRQOL includes deficits in functioning, well-being focuses on strengths like resilience and self-management .

Question 3

What determines well-being?

Answer 3

It’s determined by how we maximize our physical, mental, and social functioning, in the context of supportive environments, in order to live a full, satisfying, and productive life.

Question 4

How do Healthy People 2010 and Healthy People 2020 differ?

Answer 4

HP 2010: Focused on increasing quality and years of healthy life using life expectancy and healthy life expectancy metrics.
HP 2020: Expanded to promote quality of life, healthy development, and health behaviors across all life stages .

Question 5

How does the World Health Organization (WHO) define health?

Answer 5

Health is defined by the WHO as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Important because of longer life spans

Question 6

Why is promoting well-being important, especially for public health?

Answer 6

• It emphasizes enhancing physical, mental, and social resources, as well as protective factors.
• It fosters resilience, self-management, and disease resistance.
• Public health outcomes improve with better well-being, including longevity, immunity, and faster recovery.
• Well-being impacts societal factors like productivity and community contributions

Question 7

What are the three main ways HRQOL is measured, and what do they assess?

Answer 7

• Self-rated physical and mental health:
  Uses tools like PROMIS to evaluate fatigue, pain, emotional distress, and social activities.
  Focuses on individuals’ self-perceived physical and mental health status.
• Overall well-being:
  Measures physical well-being (vigor and vitality), mental well-being (life satisfaction, optimism), and social well-being (quality of relationships).
• Participation in society:
  Assesses the ability to participate in activities such as education, employment, and family roles.
  poorer function shouldn’t mean poorer quality of life.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of someone with higher levels of well-being?

Answer 8

• Judges their life as going well:
  Perceives their life positively and feels a sense of fulfillment.
• Feels very healthy and full of energy:
  Has vigor and vitality to take on daily activities effectively.
• Satisfaction with life:
  Finds joy, meaning, and engagement in everyday activities.
• Maintains positive relationships:
  Experiences good social connections and gets along well with others.
• Emotional well-being:
  Is more content or cheerful than anxious or depressed.
• Sense of accomplishment:
  Gains a feeling of achievement and purpose from their activities.
• Supportive environment:
  Personal, social, and community environments that foster well-being play a role.