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Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research

Social support: an important factor for quality of life in women with hirsutism

Authors: Maria Palmetun Ekbäck, Magnus Lindberg, Eva Benzein, Kristofer Årestedt

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2014

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Abstract

Background

Women with hirsutism have reported imparied health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Social support is a factor that might increase HRQoL in chronic diseases, but little is known about this association among women with hirsutism.

Aim

The aim of the study was to describe social support and explore its association with HRQoL among women with hirsutism. A further aim was to compare HRQoL in women with hirsutism with a Swedish normal population.

Methods

A questionnaire including socio-demographic questions, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and a self-estimation of hairiness using the Ferriman-Gallway scale (F-G scale) was answered by 127 women with hirsutism.

Results

Multiple regression analyses showed significant associations between social support and all health dimensions in the SF-36, also after the model was adjusted for age, hairiness and body mass index. Compared to the normal Swedish population, women with hirsutism reported significantly lower HRQoL in all dimensions of the SF-36 (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

There is a significant positive association between social support and HRQoL, demonstrating its importance for the ability to adapt to problems associated with hirsutism. As women with hirsutism reported poorer HRQoL compared to the normal population, social support may be a factor to consider in clinical practice.
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Metadata
Title
Social support: an important factor for quality of life in women with hirsutism
Authors
Maria Palmetun Ekbäck
Magnus Lindberg
Eva Benzein
Kristofer Årestedt
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-014-0183-3

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