Last update:
29-Aug-2024

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between illness perception, sense of coherence, illness activity, medication adherence and quality of life in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 95 patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, who completed a series of online questionnaires. The questionnaires included the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire measuring health-related quality of life, the Sense of Coherence Scale, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, the Crohn's Disease Activity Scale (Harvey-Bradshaw Index), the Simple Colitis Activity Index and a questionnaire covering demographic and clinical data.

RESULTS Statistically significant correlations were observed between quality of life and a series of variables such as sense of coherence, illness perception, and illness activity. On multiple linear regression analysis, improved quality of life was found to be related to less negative and threatening illness perceptions, high sense of coherence, and a patient's diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Regarding mediation analyses, it was found that sense of coherence and illness activity indirectly affected the quality of life of patients with IBD through illness perception.

CONCLUSIONS The present study highlights the importance of enhancing sense of coherence and illness perception through psychosocial interventions, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of patients with IBD.

Key words: Illness activity, Illness perception, Inflammatory bowel disease, Quality of life, Sense of coherence.