{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T05:48:35Z","timestamp":1782452915207,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781827200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Uterine fibroids are among the most common benign tumors affecting women of reproductive age and may substantially impair health-related quality of life (HRQL). Although anxiety and stress are frequently reported by affected women, their contribution to HRQL remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between symptom severity, anxiety, stress, and HRQL in women with uterine fibroids. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 107 women hospitalized for uterine fibroid treatment. Symptom severity and HRQL were assessed using the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life (UFS-QoL) questionnaire. Anxiety and information needs were evaluated using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS), while subjective anxiety and stress levels were measured with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Associations between variables were analyzed using non-parametric tests, Spearman\u2019s correlations, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Clinically significant anxiety was observed in 41.1% of participants. The mean HRQL score was 57.4 \u00b1 22.3 points. In multivariate analysis, symptom severity was the only independent predictor of HRQL (\u03b2 = \u22120.67, p &lt; 0.001), explaining approximately 45% of its variance. Anxiety, stress, and sociodemographic factors were not independently associated with overall HRQL. However, higher levels of anxiety and stress were significantly associated with poorer sexual functioning. Women living in rural areas and those with higher body weight reported poorer outcomes in selected quality-of-life domains. Conclusions: Symptom severity is the primary determinant of HRQL in women with uterine fibroids. Although anxiety and stress do not independently predict overall quality of life, they may adversely affect sexual functioning. These findings support a comprehensive management approach that combines symptom-oriented treatment with psychological and educational support.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15124777","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T13:04:04Z","timestamp":1781874244000},"page":"4777","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Health-Related Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Stress in Women with Uterine Fibroids: A Cross-Sectional Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Agnieszka","family":"Lach","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wiktoria","family":"J\u0119drzejak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patrycja","family":"Loba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Depczy\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zuzanna","family":"Radziszewska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dobrochna","family":"Stachecka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maciej","family":"Wilczak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2299-8353","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karolina","family":"Chmaj-Wierzchowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"},{"name":"Laboratory of Advanced Interventional Therapies in Gynecology and Urogynecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-701 Poznan, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpobgyn.2017.10.001","article-title":"Alternatives to hysterectomy: The burden of fibroids and the quality of life","volume":"46","author":"Fortin","year":"2018","journal-title":"Best Pract. 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