Effect of Health Promotion Program on Quality of Life for Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a multisystem disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Health promotion program is the activities or strategies that are directed towards raising the general level of health and well-being of an individual. Aim: the study aimed to evaluate the effect of health promotion program on the quality of life for patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Study design: a quasi-experimental design was utilized to conduct this study. Setting: this study was conducted at Rheumatology, Nephrology, Immunology and outpatients clinics at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Subject: A purposive sample of 70 patients, diagnosed with SLE, admitted to the previously mentioned settings was recruited for conducting this study. Data collection tools: 1) Health assessment questionnaire for patient with SLE. 2) Lupus QOL Questionnaire. 3) Lupus awareness's quiz. Results: the present study revealed that there was a highly statistically significant improvement regarding patient‟s levels of awareness post implementation of SLE health promotion program. Moreover, there were highly statistically positive correlations between SLE patients' levels of awareness and patients' QOL and their socio-demographic characteristics as regards their education level. In addition, there were highly statistically significant positive correlations between patients' total QOL and total lupus awareness for SLE patients under the study pre and post implementation of SLE health promotion program. Conclusion: The implementation of Systemic Lupus health promotion program has a statistically significant positive effect on the quality of life for patients with SLE which support the stated hypothesis. Recommendations: Designing a systematically continuous health promotion program for patients with SLE in hospitals in addition to media such as: newspapers, television, and radio to help improve the health status of these patients.