New Delhi: Stress may have a stronger association with poorer health-related quality of life among adults living with two or more chronic conditions than among those without any such condition, according to a new study conducted in Finland.
The findings, published in the journal Health Promotion International, also showed that adults who found it easier to access, understand and use health information tended to report lower levels of stress.
The researchers said both the clarity of health information and sensitivity to stress should be considered when supporting people managing multiple long-term health conditions.
"Living with several conditions can mean managing appointments, medication routines and information from different services. Our findings suggest that stress deserves particular attention when considering quality of life among people facing these demands," said study author Jing Zhou, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.
The researchers analysed data from a cross-sectional, quota-based online survey of 4,003 Finnish adults aged 19 to 79, conducted in 2024.
Participants reported whether they had any of 21 long-term conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, migraine and back problems.
Nearly three in four respondents reported at least one condition, while almost half had two or more. The researchers compared three groups: adults without chronic conditions, those with one condition and those with two or more conditions.
"The relationship between stress and quality of life differed by chronic disease burden and was strongest among adults with multiple chronic diseases," the authors wrote.
Among people with two or more conditions, a given increase in perceived stress was associated with an approximately twofold greater decline in quality of life than among those without chronic conditions, the researchers said.
Perceived stress refers to how unpredictable, difficult to control or overwhelming people felt their lives had been during the previous month.
Health-related quality of life was assessed across five aspects of everyday health: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression.
The researchers also found that people with higher health literacy reported lower stress and better health-related quality of life.
Health literacy refers to a person's ability to find, understand, evaluate and use health information when making everyday health decisions.
The main difference between the study groups emerged in the strength of the association between stress and quality of life, rather than in the relationship between health literacy and stress, the researchers said.
Much of the association between health literacy and quality of life was linked to perceived stress, they added.
The findings highlight the potential value of addressing health information needs, practical demands and stress together, the researchers said.
Clear communication, assistance in navigating healthcare services and better coordination of care may be particularly important for people managing multiple health conditions, they added.
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
