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Relationship between family functioning and health-related quality of life among methadone maintenance patients: a Bayesian approach

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine the relationship of family functioning on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among methadone maintenance patients using the Bayesian approach.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 182 patients at Go Vap Methadone Clinic, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Family functioning and HRQoL were measured by the APGAR scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life short-form instrument (WHOQoL-BREF), respectively. Directed Acyclic Graphs were used to present the conceptual framework and to identify a set of confounders of the relationship between family functioning and HRQoL. Bayesian multivariable linear regressions were fitted with four different priors to determine the effect size of the relationship of interest.

Results

The mean score of APGAR was 6.0 (SD = 3.3), and the mean scores of HRQoL were from 47.1 (SD = 17.6) in the social relationships dimension to 69.0 (SD = 10.3) in the environment dimension. Patients with a higher score of family functioning were likely to have a higher score of HRQoL, with coefficients and 95% highest density interval (HDI) greater than 0 in all priors. Family functioning had the most substantial impact on the psychological health dimension, with 99.9% to 100% and 44.6% to 83.7% of posterior distribution greater than 1 and 2, in different priors, respectively.

Conclusion

Family functioning is intimately associated with HRQoL. Treatment plans for patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment should aim to involve the families appropriately and effectively to maximize the benefits for patients and improve their overall well-being.

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Data availability

Available upon request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all MMT patients who participated in this study, as well as the individuals and institutions that made this research possible: Dr. Vu Thi Tuong Vi, Dr. Nguyen Song Chi Trung, and Dr. Le Huynh Thi Cam Hong from South Vietnam HIV Addiction Technology Transfer Center—University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, and Dr. Thach Thi Ca and all staff members from Go Vap Methadone Clinic. We thank Dr. David Williams for editing the language contents of this paper.

Funding

The authors did not receive any funds for conducting this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

KQL designed the study, data collection, conducted statistical analyses, and drafted and revised the manuscript. OPT participated in designing the study and drafted and revised the manuscript. TTKT designed the study, data collection, and drafted and revised the manuscript. VTHL, VQM, NVH, and HVM provided editorial input. All authors read and approved the final submitted manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Trinh Thi Kim Thao.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Institution Review Board of University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (IRB No. 160/DHYD-HD, dated: 10/5/2017).

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Long, K.Q., Thinh, O.P., Thao, T.T.K. et al. Relationship between family functioning and health-related quality of life among methadone maintenance patients: a Bayesian approach. Qual Life Res 29, 3333–3342 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02598-z

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