Spirituality and subjective wellbeing in patients with lower-limb ulceration

To assess subjective wellbeing and spirituality in patients with either venous leg ulcers (VLUs) or diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).

This was a prospective, descriptive, analytical study conducted from December 2011 to October 2012. The study was approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee. A convenience, non-probability sample of 80 patients with either VLUs (n=40) or DFUs (n=40) were consecutively selected from an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in the city of Pouso Alegre, Brazil. Most participants were practising Catholics. The Subjective Wellbeing Scale and Spirituality Self-Rating Scale were administered to all participants.

Thirty-two (80%) patients with foot ulcers and 22 (55%) patients with leg ulcers reported going to church sometimes or rarely. Most participants regarded religiosity and spirituality as synonymous, and living with the ulcers was seen as a punishment. The mean scores on the positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction components of the Subjective Wellbeing Scale were 2.48, 1.57 and 1.88, respectively, for patients with DFUs, and 2.55, 1.55 and 1.50, respectively, for patients with VLUs, with significant difference in life satisfaction between groups (p=0.003). The mean score on the Spirituality Self-Rating Scale was 11.40 for patients with VLUs and 12.85 for those with DFUs, showing that the participants had low levels of spirituality.

VLUs and DFUs had a negative impact on subjective wellbeing and spirituality, but patients with DFUs showed poorer subjective wellbeing and spirituality than those with VLUs.