The role of positivity on quality of life outcomes in patients with chronic diseases

Background: Positivity is a general tendency to react to life experiences in a positive way, a pervasive optimistic view of oneself, one’s life, and one’s future, associated with greater positive affection and lower functional impairments. The aim of the study was to examine the role of positivity in predicting the length of hospitalization in patients operated of thoracic surgery and physical and mental health in patients born with Anorectal Malformations (ARM). Methods: patients born with ARM were enrolled from the Italian Association for Anorectal Malformations and patients scheduled for thoracic surgery were recruited during pre-hospitalization at Sant’Andrea Hospital. All pparticipants completed measures of positivity, and physical and mental health (SF-36). Patients born with ARM completed also a faecal incontinence measure. Data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. Results: Study 1 included 66 adult patients born with ARM. The hypothesized model exhibited good fit. Positivity significantly influences Mental (β=.49, p<.01) and Physical health (β=.32, p<.01). The indirect effect of fecal continence on health was significant for the Mental component (β=.186, p<.05). Study 2 included 54 patients who underwent thoracic surgery. The hypothesized model exhibited good fit. Positivity assessed after surgery was positively associated with physical and mental health after 1-month (β=.21, p<.05). Conclusions: Positivity contributes in explaining the effects of functional impairments on quality of life and in predicting physical and mental health after surgery