Impact of stoma on lifestyle and health-related quality of life in patients living with stoma: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: A person with colostomy or ileostomy undergoes a comprehensive treatment with a wide range of adjustments which affect the individual's social and psychological functioning. Quality of life (QOL) is a subjective feeling which includes physical, social, psychological, and spiritual domains of an individual that can be affected by a stoma. AIM: This study is aimed at identifying the QOL and impact of stoma on their lifestyle pattern among ostomates attending stoma outpatient department of gastroenterology department of a government tertiary care center in South India during 2018. METHODS: A descriptive study using a cross-sectional survey design was conducted among 55 ostomates, following consecutive sampling technique. The data were collected using a City of Hope QOL Questionnaire for Ostomy patients which had QOL Assessment Questions from four subdomains including physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects. This tool also had open-ended questions on lifestyle assessment components. RESULTS: 63.6% of the participants had colostomy; 72.7% of the stomas were due to cancer. The mean QOL score of the participants was 4.13 ± 1.07. The ostomates scored relatively well in both physical (5.68 ± 1.76) and spiritual (4.32 ± 1.36) domains, but the sociological (2.85 ± 1.3) domain score was very low. Permanent ostomates scored significantly higher than the temporary ostomates (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The QOL score of ostomates was less than the scores reported in the Western population and living with stoma significantly alters their lifestyle. Therefore, follow-up services and counseling services to the ostomates by the health-care professionals are needed.