Percorrer por autor "Loureiro, Isabel Sofia"
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- The use of the EUROHIS-QOL-8 to assess the perception of quality of life at termas de ChavesPublication . Vaz, Márcia; Loureiro, Isabel Sofia; Alves, Maria José; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Costa, Vânia; Fernandes, Paula Odete; Nunes, AlcinaQuality of life is a person's perception of life in the context they belong in. It compresses multiple dimensions that need to be assessed. The EUROHIS-QOL-8 scale is an instrument that measures the subjective well-being of individuals and the impact of different health issues. It is a brief tool to measure the quality of life that includes eight items. The higher the results shown in this scale, the better the quality of life of individuals. The EUROHIS-QOL-8 has been proven to have good internal consistency and an excellent index for measuring the quality of life. It has been validated and reliable in many different contexts of application. This paper uses EUROHIS-QOL-8 to evaluate thermalists' perception of quality of life before and after attending a thermal spa. It intends to identify if there are differences between the state of quality of life before and after using thermal spa services. For this purpose, a self-administrated questionnaire was applied to the Termas de Chaves' users during the 2021 thermal season, i.e., between 09 August and 20 December. A convenience method of non-probability sampling allowed to obtain a sample of 213 thermal users. The data were analysed through statistical techniques of exploratory descriptive and inferential analysis. The results showed statistically significant differences in customers' perception of quality of life before and after 14 days of treatment. In addition, the study of five sociodemographic variables showed that the categories: female, up to 35 years old, single, without academic qualifications, and housekeeper were the most benefited from the thermal treatments. Regarding the analysis of pathologies, the participants guided by their family doctor to attend the Chaves thermal springs for respiratory problems showed the most significant improvement. The paper's results dissemination becomes an added value for verifying the benefits of thermal spas on the individuals' quality of life. It also allows for better development of thermal spa products to improve the quality of life perceived by individuals.
- Thermal tourism: study of the profile and motivations of the practitioner in portugalPublication . Loureiro, Isabel Sofia; Gomes, Helena; Costa, Vânia; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Pereira, Raquel; Nunes, AlcinaHealth and wellness tourism had a growing interest in the Portuguese population until 2019. However, with the ap-pearance of Covid-19, several establishments had to close over these two years, this segment being one of the most affected areas. Many water users looked forward to the opening of the spa resorts to continue their treatments. Giv- en the importance of this theme, this work has as its main goal the definition of a consumer profile and to identify the determinants of satisfaction of the thermal tourists, as well as to gauge the degree of knowledge of thermal tourism and specifically of spas in the Portuguese context. In methodological terms, a questionnaire survey was conducted among the tourists to achieve the research objectives. The results show a younger, healthier and diversified thermal tourism practitioner. It also reveals similarities with other profile and motivations studies. However, it is possible to notice a few differences. Practitioners are seeking a combination of a leisure and health dimension and valorise fac- tors such as location and access of the establishments, quality of the services provided and rest and tranquillity. An issue regarding their length of stay has been identified. As they are locals and live in the same country as the thermal spa, most respondents do not stay overnight at the destination. In the future, it would be interesting to research product development and market strategies for diversified thermal practitioners.