Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34789153›Full record

ArticleBMC family practice2021

Living with a chronic disease: insights from patients with a low socioeconomic status.

Lisa Van Wilder, Peter Pype, Fien Mertens, Elke Rammant, Els Clays, Brecht Devleesschauwer, Pauline Boeckxstaens, Delphine De Smedt

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC family practice, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  19. Aging, longevity, and healthy aging: the public health approach.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Lisa Van WilderDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. lisa.vanwilder@ugent.be.
Peter PypeDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Fien MertensDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Elke RammantDepartment of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Els ClaysDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Brecht DevleesschauwerDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium.
Pauline BoeckxstaensDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Delphine De SmedtDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLittle is known about how patients with low socioeconomic status (SES) experience their chronic disease, and how it impacts health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Compared to their more affluent counterparts, worse outcomes have been reported. A better understanding of the domains of HRQoL that are relevant to these specific populations is therefore needed. We explored the experiences of living with a chronic disease in low SES persons.

methodsA qualitative interview study was performed in Flanders, Belgium. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in chronically ill patients, selected through purposive sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis followed an inductive and iterative approach.

resultsFifteen patients were interviewed. Six major themes were identified: a heavy bag to carry, loss of autonomous life, inner and outer loneliness, emotional imbalance, unmet need for support, and coping strategies. Patients experienced their illness as an additional problem on top of all other problems (i.e. financial/social problems, traumatic life events). In general, the disease burden and non-disease burden were mutually reinforcing, resulting in greater dependency, greater risk of social isolation, greater psychological distress, and greater risk of impaired HRQoL.

conclusionsThis study is the first to provide detailed insight into the experiences of living with a chronic disease in low SES persons. A conceptual model is proposed that can be used in daily clinical practice to raise awareness among clinicians and health care providers that the patient's needs go beyond the disease itself. Future research is needed to validate and test the model.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PsychologicalQuality of LifeChronic DiseaseHumansQualitative ResearchSocial ClassChronic diseaseConceptual modelHealth inequalitiesHealth-related quality of lifeSocioeconomic status

Identifiers

PMID34789153
PMCPMC8598397

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.