Prediction Model for Health-related Quality of Life in Coronary Artery Disease Patients According to Stress Level

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify factors related to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in community-dwelling patients with coronary artery disease.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2021 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The participants were 170 patients with coronary artery disease aged 19 or older living in the community, and the survey included demographic characteristics, health status characteristics, health behavior characteristics, and stress levels. Complex sample linear regression analysis and decision tree analysis were used for data analysis.Results: The decision tree identified six final nodes predicting HRQOL. Stress was related to HRQOL (Adjusted p<.001, chi-square=26.513, df=1). The highest predicted HRQOL was node 7, with 83.1% of cases predicted to have high HRQOL, and those with low stress levels had good subjective health and lived with others. The lowest predicted quality of life was Node 6, with 6.2% of individuals predicted to have a high HRQOL, and high stress levels were associated with a monthly income of less than 3 million won.Conclusion: The factors predicting HRQOL in community-dwelling patients with coronary artery disease differed depending on the level of stress. In order to improve HRQOL in these patients, it is necessary to identify high-risk individuals early based on these predictive factors and provide customized interventions according to the level of stress.