HEALTH OUTCOME AND WELL-BEING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The article aims to examine health outcome and well-being in individuals with chronic gastrointestinal disorders during COVID-19 pandemic. The study applies Patient-Reported Health Outcome Measure-Core Thrive Items to assess health outcome and well-being in 18 patients with chronic gastrointestinal disorders at Volyn Regional Clinical Hospital (Lutsk, Ukraine). The measure assesses the overall health and impact of primary condition, core symptoms (pain, depressed mood, anxious mood, fatigue, stress), mobility (walk ability), sleep (fall and stay asleep), abilities (thinking, emotions, personal needs, responsibilities, social activity) and thriving (feeling good about yourself, meaning of life, connectedness, high life standards) during last month which coincides with adaptive quarantine restrictions in Ukraine. There was a significant negative correlation between period of disease, age of individuals and overall health, and positive correlation between age and period of disease. Negative correlation was also found between core symptoms and good sleep. In addition, there is a positive correlation between good sleep and abilities, particularly thinking, emotions, personal needs, responsibilities, and social activity. The difference in health outcome and well-being between the female and male groups was not significant.
Findings of our study capture that the highest indices of poor health outcome and wellbeing are aligned with feelings of pain, bad sleep and chronic fatigue. It is somewhat surprising that no depressed mood and anxious state were noted in individuals with chronic gastrointestinal disorders during COVID-19 pandemic. The high indices of connectedness were found, which aligned with strong relations between individuals with chronic gastrointestinal disorders and their family members. Therefore, a further study could assess the long-term effects of Expressed Emotion and positive relationship between family members and these patients on health outcome and well-being during COVID-19 pandemic.