Quality of Life among Iraqi Ostomy Patients and Its Associations with Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients.

BACKGROUND: The surgical creation of an ostomy can substantially affect patients' daily functioning and quality of life (QoL). However, no previous study has evaluated QoL among ostomy patients in Iraq, and the influence of demographic and clinical factors remains insufficiently explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 200 ostomy patients recruited from three oncology centers in Baghdad, Iraq. QoL was assessed using the City of Hope-Quality of Life Ostomy Questionnaire (CoH-QoL-OQ). Associations between demographic and clinical variables and QoL were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS: Based on the total QoL score, none of the patients had a good QoL; 92.00% had moderate QoL and 8.00% had low QoL. Patients aged ≥48 years had lower overall QoL compared with younger patients (η² =0.05, p = 0.001). Lower QoL was also observed in patients with malignant tumors before surgery (η² =0.10, p < 0.001) and those receiving chemotherapy after surgery (η² = 0.07, p = 0.001). Social QoL differed significantly across marital status, ostomy type, tumor type, and treatment methods (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Iraqi ostomy patients experience low-to-moderate QoL. Age, marital status, ostomy type, tumor malignancy, and postsurgical treatment methods are significant determinants of QoL in this population.