Background: This paper investigates the quality of life of brain pathology patients in relation to their sociodemographic
profiles and clinical factors.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study done at a tertiary referral hospital in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 100
patients were recruited in the study after excluding 22 patients who did not met the exclusion criteria. The
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) self-administered
questionnaire was utilized in the study. The Global health status/QoL, Physical functioning, Role functioning,
Emotional functioning, Cognitive functioning, Social functioning, Fatigue, Nausea and vomiting, Pain, Dyspnoea,
Insomnia, Appetite loss, Constipation, Diarrhoea, and Financial difficulties were assessed in this study.
Results: The most severe impairment in functioning was with lowest score of cognitive functioning (mean
score=61) and the most severe symptom was fatigue (mean score=45). There were significant differences in
quality of life scores in different socio-demographic groupsand types of brain pathology patients. Patients aged
below 40 years old or less had better physical functioning, less symptoms of fatigue and insomnia compared
to patients who were more than 40 years old. Male patients faced more financial difficulties compared with
female patients. Patients who were married had increased insomnia compared to the single patients. Employed
patients had better physical functioning and less financial difficulties compared with patients who were
unemployed. Patients who earned >RM 2500.00 monthly had better physical functioning, less symptoms of pain and less financial difficulties than patients who earned ≤RM 2500.00. Patients with qualifications lower
than SPM tended to face more financial difficulties compared to patients with qualifications of SPM or higher.
Meningioma patients had better social functioning compared with others, whereas Carvenoma patients had
better physical functioning. Meningioma patients had more symptoms of insomnia compared with other
patients. All the findings were with p value less than 0.05.
Conclusion: The quality of life of patients with brain pathology is affected by socio-demographic factors and
clinical diagnoses. Efforts should be made to improve the overall quality of life of these patients.