The association of quality of life and fear of progression in patients with pulmonary hypertension: a cross-sectional network analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background The quality of life (QoL) of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) is severely compromised. Fear of progression (FoP) may be an important predictor of compromising the QoL in PH patients. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the association between QoL and FoP among PH patients. Methods A cross-sectional study comprising 255 patients was conducted using convenience sampling, using the Self-administered socio-demographic information questionnaire, the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire abbreviated version, and the Chinese version of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form. Network analysis was completed using R software. Results In the current network model, the QoL in the psychological domain had the highest node centrality (strength = 1.155). The highest bridge centrality node was physiological health-related fear (bridge strength = 0.303). The edge between physiological health-related fear and social family-related fear has the highest strength (edge weights = 0.596). Conclusions This study revealed that the psychological domain of QoL is likely to be the most dominant in the overall QoL of PH patients. It can serve as a primary focus for QoL management strategies to improve the overall QoL of PH patients. Furthermore, physical health-related fear is an urgent mental health concern to be alleviated in PH patients' FoP. As a bridge variable, physical health-related fear can be used as a potential clinical intervention target for developing and utilizing intervention programs to alleviate the FoP in PH patients, which may help maintain or even enhance the psychological and overall QoL of PH patients.

Keywords

• Fear of Progression
• Network Analysis
• Nursing
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Quality of life