Quality of Life of Patients Attending Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine Department at Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital

Abstract

Purposes of study: (1) to assess the level of self-care behavior, social support, and quality of life of patients,(2) to compare patients’ quality of life according to personal factors, (3) to study the relationship between self-care behavior and quality of life of patients, (4) to study the relationship between social support and quality of life of patients attending Thai traditional and alternative medicine services. Materials and Methods: Subjects were consisted of 280 out-patients attending the Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine Department at Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, Prachinburi province. Data collected using questionnaires were analyzed by using a computer program package. Statistical procedures included t-test, one-way ANOVA, multiple comparison (LSD) and Pearson’s Coefficient. Statistical significance was set at 0.05 and 0.01. Results: (1) the self-care behavior of patients was at a high level, the social support of patients was at a moderate level and the quality of life of patients was also high; (2) patients with different profiles, such as sex, age, average family income, occupation, symptoms, treatment period, and treatment mode, disclosed no difference in quality of life, while patients with different levels of education and duration of sickness had a different quality of life (statistical significance at 0.05); (3) self-care behaviors were positively correlated with the quality of life at 0.01; and (4) social support was correlated to the quality of life at 0.01.