11 April 2024>: Clinical Research
Alexithymia and Quality of Life in Saudi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Community-Based Study
Leen E. Alturki 1ABDE* , Gomanh M. Alofisan 1ABDEF , Layan K. Alsaif 1ABEF , Saja A. Alharbi 1ABDE , Nora M. Alturki 1ABE , Shekhah S. Aldahash 1ABDE , Razan J. Almutairi 1ABE , Zeinab A. Abd-Elhaleem 2DFDOI: 10.12659/MSM.943594
Med Sci Monit 2024; 30:e943594
Table 2 TAS-20, DIF, DDF, EOT, and HRQoL 15D scores for each category.
Factor | Category | n | % | TAS-20 | DIF | DDF | EOT | HRQoL | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean (SD) | 95% CI | Mean (SD) | 95% CI | Mean (SD) | 95% CI | Mean (SD) | 95% CI | Mean (SD) | 95% CI | ||||
Age (years) | 20 | 4 | 65.6 | 60.9–70.3 | 25.2 | 22.6–27.8 | 16.9 | 15.3–18.5 | 23.5 | 21.7–25.3 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
18–26 | 308 | 59 | 64.6 | 63.4–65.9 | 25.6 | 25.0–26.3 | 17.3 | 16.9–17.8 | 21.7 | 21.2–22.2 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 | |
27–35 | 104 | 20 | 62.8 | 60.9–64.7 | 24.3 | 23.2–25.3 | 16.3 | 15.5–17.1 | 22.3 | 21.6–22.9 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
36–44 | 55 | 11 | 62.2 | 59.5–64.9 | 23.9 | 22.3–25.5 | 15.8 | 14.7–16.9 | 22.5 | 21.7–23.2 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
>44 | 31 | 6 | 61.4 | 56.9–65.9 | 23.9 | 21.5–26.3 | 15.5 | 13.9–17.0 | 22.0 | 20.9–23.2 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Region | Central region | 281 | 54 | 63.0 | 61.7–64.3 | 24.5 | 23.8–25.2 | 16.6 | 16.1–17.1 | 21.9 | 21.5–22.4 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 |
Eastern region | 62 | 12 | 64.7 | 62.3–67 | 25.8 | 24.5–27.1 | 17.2 | 16.2–18.2 | 21.7 | 20.8–22.6 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 | |
Western region | 121 | 23 | 64.6 | 62.7–66.5 | 25.6 | 24.6–26.6 | 17.2 | 16.5–17.9 | 21.8 | 21.1–22.6 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Southern region | 33 | 6 | 64.8 | 60.9–68.7 | 25.1 | 22.9–27.4 | 16.9 | 15.6–18.2 | 22.8 | 21.5–24.1 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Northern region | 21 | 4 | 66.4 | 62.0–70.7 | 26.2 | 24.2–28.2 | 17.1 | 15.0–19.1 | 23.1 | 20.8–25.5 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Nationality | Saudi | 488 | 94 | 63.8 | 62.8–64.7 | 25.0 | 24.5–25.5 | 16.8 | 16.4–17.2 | 22.0 | 21.7–22.4 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 |
Non-Saudi | 30 | 6 | 65.1 | 61.7–68.5 | 26.0 | 24.2–27.8 | 17.6 | 16.4–18.8 | 21.5 | 20.2–22.8 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Education | Secondary | 86 | 17 | 64.3 | 62–66.7 | 25.5 | 24.2–26.7 | 16.9 | 15.9–17.8 | 22.0 | 21.1–22.9 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 |
Diploma | 33 | 6 | 64.5 | 60.8–68.2 | 25.2 | 23.4–27.0 | 16.8 | 15.3–18.3 | 22.5 | 21.3–23.7 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 | |
Bachelor’s degree | 362 | 70 | 63.8 | 62.7–64.9 | 24.9 | 24.3–25.5 | 16.8 | 16.4–17.3 | 22.0 | 21.6–22.4 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 | |
Post Baccalaureate | 37 | 7 | 62.7 | 59.4–65.9 | 25.0 | 22.9–27.1 | 16.7 | 15.5–17.9 | 21.0 | 19.8–22.0 | 0.9 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Occupation | Housewife, unemployed, or retired | 100 | 19 | 62.4 | 60.3–64.5 | 24.7 | 23.5–25.8 | 16.0 | 15.1–16.8 | 21.8 | 21.1–22.5 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 |
Student | 262 | 51 | 64.8 | 63.5–66.2 | 25.5 | 24.7–26.2 | 17.3 | 16.8–17.8 | 22.1 | 21.5–22.6 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 | |
Teacher or academic teacher | 50 | 10 | 64.3 | 61.6–67 | 24.8 | 23.4–26.3 | 17.0 | 15.9–18.1 | 22.5 | 21.6–23.3 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Administrator | 53 | 10 | 62.5 | 60.0–65.0 | 24.4 | 23.0–25.8 | 16.5 | 15.5–17.5 | 21.7 | 20.8–22.6 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Engineer | 8 | 2 | 66.4 | 58.7–74 | 27.9 | 24.3–31.5 | 17.6 | 14.2–21.1 | 20.9 | 17.7–24.1 | 0.8 | 0.7–0.9 | |
Medical field | 35 | 7 | 62.1 | 58.2–66 | 23.7 | 21.4–26.0 | 16.2 | 14.7–17.7 | 22.2 | 20.9–23.5 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Other | 10 | 2 | 61.4 | 54.2–68.6 | 24.7 | 21.8–27.6 | 15.7 | 12.7–18.7 | 21.0 | 17.4–24.6 | 0.9 | 0.9–0.9 | |
Annual family income | Low income (less than SAR 5000) | 85 | 16 | 64.8 | 62.5–67 | 26.1 | 25.0–27.3 | 16.4 | 15.5–17.3 | 22.2 | 21.4–23 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 |
Middle-low income (SAR 6000–10 000) | 122 | 24 | 64.5 | 62.6–66.4 | 25.3 | 24.3–26.2 | 17.1 | 16.3–17.8 | 22.2 | 21.5–22.9 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Middle income (SAR 11 000–15 000) | 134 | 26 | 63.9 | 62.0–65.8 | 2.8 | 23.7–25.9 | 17.0 | 16.3–17.7 | 22.1 | 21.4–22.8 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Middle-high income (SAR 16 000–24 000) | 111 | 21 | 63.7 | 61.7–65.6 | 25.1 | 24.0–26.1 | 16.9 | 16.1–17.6 | 21.7 | 21.0–22.4 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 | |
High income (more than SAR 25 000) | 66 | 13 | 61.8 | 59.1–64.5 | 23.7 | 22.3–25.1 | 16.5 | 15.5–17.4 | 21.7 | 20.6–22.7 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
Marital status | Single | 341 | 66 | 64.6 | 63.4–65.8* | 25.5 | 24.9–26.1 | 17.3 | 16.9–17.7* | 21.8 | 21.3–22.2 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 |
Married, divorced, or widowed | 177 | 34 | 62.4 | 61.0–63.9* | 24.2 | 23.3–25.0 | 15.9 | 15.3–16.5* | 22.3 | 21.9–22.8 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.9 | |
All | Total | 518 | 100 | 63.9 | 62.9–64.8 | 25.0 | 24.5–25.5 | 16.8 | 16.5–17.2 | 22.0 | 21.6–22.3 | 0.8 | 0.8–0.8 |
Patients’ HRQoL and demographic characteristics (age, geographic region, nationality, education level, occupational status, family income, and marital status) in relation to their TAS-20 categories. TAS-20 – Toronto Alexithymia Scale; DIF – difficulty identifying feelings; DDF – difficulty describing feelings; EOT – externally oriented thinking; HRQoL 15D – health-related quality of life 15-dimensional scale; SD – standard deviation. * |