Abstract

Background

Although nocturnal leg cramps are common, little research is available about their impact on quality of life. This mixed-methods study explored the impact of nocturnal leg cramps on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods

The study included primary care patients (>50 years) who reported suffering from nocturnal leg cramps (2016–2017). In the quantitative phase, patients completed a questionnaire about their HRQoL (SF-36) and the frequency of their cramps, and we computed the SF-36 scores. Then, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with patients with various levels of HRQol to explore their perception of the impact of cramps on their lives.

Results

A total of 114 patients (49%) agreed to participate in the quantitative study (mean age: 71, women: 62%) and 15 patients were included in the qualitative study (mean age: 69, women: 67%). The number of cramps in the previous week was low (mean: 1.6 (SD 1.5)). The SF-36 mean physical and mental summary scores were 43 and 50, respectively, and the domain scores were similar to a comparative general population. Whilst some patients reported little interference with their daily lives, others reported a major decrease in their HRQoL. SF-36 scores were not sufficient to describe the cramp-related impairment, as patients from all levels of SF-36 scores reported major impacts of NLC in the interviews.

Conclusions

Some patients describe a specific impact of cramps on their lives, regardless of their HRQoL. These patients should be the target of future intervention trials.

中文翻译：

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初级保健中与夜间腿抽筋相关的健康相关生活质量：一项混合方法研究

摘要

背景

尽管夜间腿抽筋很常见，但关于它们对生活质量的影响的研究很少。这项混合方法研究探讨了夜间腿部抽筋对健康相关生活质量 (HRQoL) 的影响。

方法

该研究包括报告患有夜间腿部抽筋（2016-2017 年）的初级保健患者（>50 岁）。在定量阶段，患者完成了一份关于他们的 HRQoL (SF-36) 和抽筋频率的问卷，我们计算了 SF-36 分数。然后，我们使用半结构化访谈对不同 HRQol 水平的患者进行了定性研究，以探索他们对抽筋对其生活影响的看法。

结果

共有 114 名患者（49%）同意参加定量研究（平均年龄：71，女性：62%），15 名患者被纳入定性研究（平均年龄：69，女性：67%）。前一周的抽筋次数很少（平均值：1.6 (SD 1.5)）。SF-36 的平均身体和心理综合得分分别为 43 和 50，并且领域得分与比较普通人群相似。虽然一些患者报告对他们的日常生活几乎没有干扰，但其他人报告他们的 HRQoL 大幅下降。SF-36 分数不足以描述与痉挛相关的损伤，因为所有 SF-36 分数水平的患者在访谈中都报告了 NLC 的主要影响。

结论

一些患者描述了抽筋对他们生活的特定影响，无论他们的 HRQoL 是什么。这些患者应成为未来干预试验的目标。