Stress takes greater toll on people qualitys of life: Study

New Delhi: Stress may have a stronger association with poorer health-related quality of life among adults living with two or more chronic conditions than among those without any such condition, according to a new study conducted in Finland.

The findings, published in the journal Health Promotion International, also showed that adults who found it easier to access, understand and use health information tended to report lower levels of stress.

The researchers said both the clarity of health information and sensitivity to stress should be considered when supporting people managing multiple long-term health conditions. “Living with several conditions can mean managing appointments, medication routines and information from different services. Our findings suggest that stress deserves particular attention when considering quality of life among people facing these demands,” said study author Jing Zhou, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.

The researchers analysed data from a cross-sectional, quota-based online survey of 4,003 Finnish adults aged 19 to 79, conducted in 2024. Participants reported whether they had any of 21 long-term conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, migraine and back problems. Nearly three in four respondents reported at least one condition, while almost half had two or more.

The researchers compared three groups: adults without chronic conditions, those with one condition and those with two or more conditions. “The relationship between stress and quality of life differed by chronic disease burden and was strongest among adults with multiple chronic diseases,” the authors wrote.

Among people with two or more conditions, a given increase in perceived stress was associated with an approximately twofold greater decline in quality of life than among those without chronic conditions, the researchers said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India