A Comparison of Anxiety Level, Quality of Life, and Personality Characteristics between Families with Heart Disease and Normal Families

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare anxiety level, quality of life, and personality characteristics between families with heart disease and normal families. Using convenience sampling method, 100 families were selected among the families with heart disease referring to hospitals of Shariati and Rajaee and 100 families were selected among the families without heart disease after homogenizing. The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire, the NEO personality inventory, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were completed by the selected families. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results of the data analysis showed that state and trait anxiety, and personality characteristics of neuroticism among heart patients are higher than normal families. Furthermore, the quality of life in the families with heart disease is lower than the normal families. Other personality characteristics (extraversion, openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness) are higher in normal families.