Impact of Hypertension on the Quality Of Life among Patients Attending Two Palestinian Communities

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life among hypertensive patients attending governmental and UNRWA clinics. It used a descriptive analytical cross sectional design, the study sample included 340 subjects aged between 40 – 71 years old, and who had hypertension at least for two years. Two settings were chosen randomly one belong to the government and the other belong to UNRWA. Subjects were recruited by using non probability convenient sample method, 170 subjects from each setting comprising 85 males and 85 females. Subjects were told to sign consent in order to participate in the study. A face to face structured interview was used to collect data from the participants by using demographic information sheet and the WHOQOL – BREEF questionnaire. Results of the study revealed that, the percentage of the total scores of the QOL among the whole study sample 65.63%, the highest domain was the social at (70.14%), and the lowest one was the environmental at (62.40%). Demographic characteristics including, age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, duration of disease, monthly income, family size, working status and clinic being visited, was statistically significant except for some domains pertaining to some groups. Physical, psychological and social domains were lower in the group of monthly income 3000NIS and above in comparison with the group of monthly income 2001 – 3000NIS at level of significance (f = 12.51, 15.85, 13.61) respectively. In regard to marital status psychological and social domains were higher in the married group in comparison with divorced group, but the physicals domain in the divorced group was better than that in the married group at level of significance (f = 19.55, 18.22, 24.22) respectively. Family size and clinic being visited, showed no statistical significance, except for the social domain in favor of subjects visiting the governmental clinic, statistical significance at (t =2.19; df =338; p<0.05). As a matter of fact, health care providers and decision makers should consider the results of this study to contribute in the promotion of health care services provided to hypertensive patients to reduce their suffering, prevent and delay future complications as well as helping them to have and enjoy a better quality of life.