Health-related quality of life of people with haemophilia in Greece

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to measure the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients with haemophilia (PWH) of mild to severe severity in Greece. METHOD In total 78 PWH, of mild to severe haemophilia, male, aged 18-80, were enrolled in the present analysis, which was conducted in three major areas across Greece: Athens, Thessaloniki and Aiani of Kozani. Two generic HRQL instruments, the EQ-5D (EuroQol) questionnaire and the Medical Outcome Study (MOS) Short-Form 36 (SF-36), were implemented to measure HRQL of PWH. Questionnaires were filled out with personal interviews, during the period April-June 2005. Correlation analysis was conducted in order to identify the relationship between HRQL and socio-demographic parameters of the sample, as well as reliability analysis to assess internal consistency of the HRQL measures. RESULTS Forty five of the enrolled PWH had mild/moderate haemophilia and 33 severe. The mean age was 42.9 years (SD 16.5). The majority of the sample was white-collar (26.2%), married (56.4%), and had secondary education (44.9%). 93.9% of the people with severe haemophilia (PWSH) and 64.4% with mild/moderate haemophilia (PWMH) had moderate mobility problems, while 51.5% and 42.2% had moderate problems in doing usual activities respectively. 9.1% of the PWSH were extremely anxious/depressed, while none of the PWMH presented extreme anxiety problems. The mean value of the VAS was 64.8 and 67.3 respectively (P=0.409). As far as the SF-36 results are concerned, with the exception of BP, VT, and MH scales all patients with severe haemophilia presented lower mean SF-36 values. PWH age was significantly and positively correlated with the following HRQL dimensions: mobility (0.282), self-care (0.448), anxiety/depression (0.261), and negatively correlated with the VAS (-0.248), PF (-0.380), BP (-0.292), and GH (-0.265) SF-36 scales. The sample's level of education was negatively correlated only with two HRQL dimensions, while PWH family status was significantly correlated with almost all HRQL dimensions, presenting the stronger correlation with sample's general health (GH) (0.422). CONCLUSIONS Patients with severe haemophilia generally recorded lower levels of HRQL in comparison with those with mild/moderate. Age was found to be a quite strong predictor of HRQL for PWH. Educational level affects negatively PWH view of their emotional condition, while HRQL of PWH is significantly correlated with their family status.