Original title
Relationship of knowledge, frailty, and self-management with health-related quality of life among adults with atrial fibrillation in Oman.
English abstract
Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was employed. The study was conducted in cardiac clinics at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) and the Royal Hospital Cardiac Center in Muscat, Oman, from June 2023 to December 2023. Participants included adults diagnosed with AF who were receiving treatment at these centers. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, which assessed demographic information, the Severity of the Atrial Fibrillation (SAF) scale, and the Simple Frail Scale. Data management involved cleaning, verification, and analysis using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis were utilized to address study objectives. Results: The study revealed that 48.9% of participants were classified as frail, with a mean frailty score of 1.48. Self-management scores had a mean of 108.34, indicating moderate engagement in health-promoting behaviors. HRQoL scores ranged from 41 to 100, with a mean of 75.9, reflecting varied patient experiences. Knowledge mean scores were 4.53 (SD=1.40), suggesting a low understanding of AF-related concepts. Significant findings indicated: Knowledge about AF was not significantly influenced by demographic factors or clinical characteristics. A substantial proportion of participants were frail, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. Self VII management had a positive correlation with HRQoL (r = 0.092, p < 0.05), indicating that better self-management is associated with higher HRQoL. The difference between groups analysis revealed significant associations between HRQoL and level of education (P = 0.02), number of people live with patient (P = 0.02), and SAF class (P= 0.03). The regression analysis showed that the self management, SAF Class, level of education and having anticoagulant medications were significant predictors of HRQoL with higher self-management and SAF Class scores correlating with better HRQoL (B = 1.564, p = 0.012). Conclusion: The study provides valuable insights into the interplay between knowledge, frailty, self-management, and HRQoL among adults with AF in Oman. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing self-management practices, level of education, number of people living with patient and better management of symptoms to improve HRQoL.
