QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG YOUNG ADULT PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Health Economics

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major cause of premature death globally, with a rising incidence in younger populations in Kazakhstan.
• This trend necessitates an understanding of the impact of CVD on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of young adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among young adult patients (25-44 years) diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases in Kazakhstan.
• To identify demographic and socioeconomic factors influencing HRQoL in this patient group.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study of 294 patients with Arterial Hypertension (AH) and comorbid conditions.
• Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).
• Statistical analyses (Student's t-test, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis) were employed to compare QoL scores across gender, marital status, education, and employment.

Main Results:

• Men reported significantly higher QoL than women across most SF-36 domains (p<0.05).
• Employment status strongly correlated with QoL; employed individuals and entrepreneurs reported higher scores than retirees and the unemployed (p<0.05).
• Physical health scores consistently surpassed mental health scores; no significant differences were observed based on marital or educational status.

Conclusions:

• Gender and employment status are key determinants of HRQoL in young adults with CVD in Kazakhstan.
• Findings underscore the need for tailored health and social support programs to enhance QoL and mitigate the CVD burden in the working-age population.
• Further research is needed to establish causal relationships due to the cross-sectional design.