Associations among early health-related quality of life, mental resilience, and social support in patients after surgery for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a longitudinal study

Abstract

Abstract Background The level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postoperative osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) patients through a longitudinal investigation, as well as the influential factors on life quality were explored. The mediation effect between mental resilience and social support were also examined. Methods This study assessed the HRQoL, mental resilience, and social support of patients at baseline 1 day post-surgery (T1), 1 month post-surgery (T2), and 3 months post-surgery (T3) through evaluation. A total of 155 postoperative OVCFs patients completed the baseline survey, with 150 and 140 participants completing the follow-up surveys at T2 and T3, respectively. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationship at each time point. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify those potential influential factors. A structural equation model was utilized to construct a comprehensive longitudinal path model for longitudinal mediation analysis. Results Although the level of HRQoL, mental resilience, and social support still remain at relatively lower level at 3 time points, they gradually elevated with time. Mental resilience (r = 0.293, P < 0.01) and social support (r = 0.257, P < 0.01) show significant correlations with HRQoL. Multiple linear regression analysis of T3 indicates that the history of smoking (β=−0.137, P < 0.001), gender (β=−0.154, P < 0.001), and diabetes (β = 0.126, P = 0.001) are independent factors related to the HRQoL of patients after OVCFs surgery. Longitudinal mediation analysis suggests that social support affects HRQoL through mental resilience (β = 1.017, P < 0.001). Conclusion Mental resilience and social support are strongly intertwined with HRQoL of OVCFs patients after surgery in the early postoperative stage. Public health initiatives could be provided to promote social support and strengthen their mental resilience, thereby improving their life quality after OVCFs surgery.