Living with Parkinson's Disease: Stage-Wise Variations in Quality of Life, Self-Efficacy, and Acceptance of Illness

ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study assesses the level of HRQoL, self-efficacy, and disease acceptance among patients at different stages of Parkinson's Disease (PD).Methods83 PD patients were stratified by Hoehn-Yahr stages I-V into 5 groups. HRQoL (SF-12), self-efficacy (CD-SES), and acceptance of the disease (AIS) were assessed. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the mean scores for the outcomes of SF-12, SES, and AIS between patients at each of the five stages of PD; chi-square tests analyzed demographics. Statistical significance was defined as p < .05 (95% confidence level).ResultsSelf-efficacy scores significantly declined from 35.95 ± 15.37 in Stage I, to 17.55 ± 9.47 in Stage V (p < 0.05). Acceptance of illness also declined, from a mean score of 28.73 ± 8.62 in Stage I to 18.91 ± 5.77 in Stage V (p < 0.05). Several individual HRQoL domains demonstrated stage-related deterioration in physical functioning, pain interference, emotional well-being, and social participation. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the overall SF-12 summary score across stages (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe findings underscore the progressive impact of PD on self-efficacy and illness acceptance, while several HRQoL domains demonstrated stage-related deterioration despite relatively stable global SF-12 summary scores. The results highlighted a need for stage-specific interventions, focusing on strengthening self-efficacy, promoting acceptance of illness, and addressing physical, emotional, and social challenges to enhance HRQoL, particularly in the advanced stages of the disease.