Open AccessImpact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Life of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease and Their Caregivers: A Single-Center Survey in Tochigi Prefecture
Author(s) -
Keisuke Suzuki,
Ayaka Numao,
Tomoko Komagamine,
Yasuo Haruyama,
Akiko Kawasaki,
Kengo Funakoshi,
Hiroaki Fujita,
Shigeaki Suzuki,
Madoka Okamura,
Tomohiko Shiina,
Koichi Hirata
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of parkinson's disease/journal of parkinson's disease (online)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.747
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1877-718X
pISSN - 1877-7171
DOI - 10.3233/jpd-212560
Subject(s) - medicine , anxiety , depression (economics) , quality of life (healthcare) , mood , pandemic , mental health , parkinson's disease , disease , population , physical therapy , covid-19 , gerontology , psychiatry , infectious disease (medical specialty) , nursing , environmental health , economics , macroeconomics
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of the general population. Objective: We investigated the determinants of quality of life (QOL) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Impacts of lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic on 100 patients with PD and their caregivers/spouses were assessed. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess anxiety and depression. The physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores of the short form (SF)-8 were used to evaluate health-related QOL. Results: Regarding health-related QOL, physical function, role physical, general health, vitality and the PCS score were significantly worse in PD patients than in caregivers. Worsening of PD-related symptoms, increased stress, and decreased physical activity were observed in 29.0%, 37.0% and 44.0% of PD patients, respectively. Sixteen patients (16.0%) experienced problems with hospital access, but none reported medication shortages. Strong concerns about COVID-19 were reported by 47.0% of caregivers and 50.0% of PD patients. In PD patients, increased gait disturbance and rigidity, disease severity, smoking, the levodopa equivalent dose and decreased body weight predicted a worse PCS score; anxiety, depression, female sex, stress and long disease duration predicted a worse MCS score. In caregivers, age and smoking contributed to a worse PCS score; depression, stress and worsening patient mood contributed to a worse MCS score. Conclusion: We report the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health-related QOL and its determinants in PD patients and their caregivers.