Sociodemographic Factors Affecting the Disease Acceptance and the Quality of Life in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Preliminary Study

Purpose Parkinson's disease (PD) significantly affects functioning of patients, thereby lowering their quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sociodemographic variables on illness acceptance and quality of life in patients with idiopathic PD. Design This is a cross-sectional research study. Methods The study was conducted with 50 patients with PD. The diagnostic survey method was applied for the purposes of this study with the use of the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, the Acceptance of Illness Scale, and a study-specific demographic questionnaire that included questions about sociodemographic data. Multivariable logistic regression was derived to define independent predictors of quality of life. Findings Men assessed quality of life in the bodily discomfort domain as significantly worse than women (p = .0214). Age negatively and significantly affected the assessment of quality of life in particular domains. Professionally active respondents significantly more often accepted their disease than others (p = .0070). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Being professionally active, living in urban areas, and having higher education and higher financial status increase subjective assessment of quality of life in patients with PD. Knowing the impact of sociodemographic variables on quality of life allows rehabilitation nurses to plan nursing and rehabilitation activities more effectively and in line with the capacity of a patient and caregivers.