The current status and influencing factors of quality of life of chronic wound patients based on Wound-QoL scale: A cross-sectional study

This study aims to establish the current quality of life (QoL) of patients with chronic wounds and identify the factors influencing it. Convenience sampling was employed, and 223 patients with chronic wounds were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Deyang City between April 2023 and January 2024. Patients completed a demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Wound-QoL, the modified Barthel Index, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The impact of chronic wounds on the quality of life of the patients was analyzed through the linear regression analyses. The mean Wound-QoL score was 38.59 ± 10.92, with 4 domains: economic burden, psychological status, physiological status, and daily life, found to significantly influence wound QoL. Logistic regression revealed that the odds of QoL improvement were impacted by various risk factors, and multivariate linear regression identified the most significant ones: a wound area ≥100 cm², wounds located on the lower extremities, baseline anxiety scores of ≥7, and baseline depression scores of ≥7. Conversely, higher modified Barthel Index scores were predictive of poorer QoL (P < .05). These findings highlight that patients with chronic wounds generally exhibit low QoL, which is influenced by wound characteristics, psychological status, and daily activity limitations. Medical professionals should focus on these factors by implementing targeted strategies, including comprehensive wound care, enhancing functional independence, and addressing psychological well-being, to improve QoL and facilitate better wound healing outcomes.