Quality of life and its associated factors for psoriasis patients in China : a cross-sectional study from hospital-based data

Abstract

Background: Negative influences from psoriasis is evident. In China, quality of life in psoriasis patients seeking care in hospitals has not been yet fully studied before. Finding out associated factors for health-related quality of life would facilitate the health intervention and resource allocations.

Aims: To estimate health-related quality of life for psoriasis patients in China and to explore the effect of demographic, life style, clinical factors on quality of life.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study involved 1258 psoriasis patients from 9 medical centers in China. Demographic factors, life style factors, and clinical factors were reported by patients themselves or doctors along with Dermatology Quality of Life Index questionnaire to assess the quality of life in psoriasis. Scores of quality of life measure were dichotomized as ≤10 to represent less affected quality of life and >10 to represent largely affected quality of life. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the data. Logistic regression models were used to explore the association between quality of life and risk factors.

Results: In serious (OR 3.50; 95% CI [1.11-10.98]; P=0.035) and severe severity (OR 7.25; 95% CI [1.29-40.69]; P=0.029) by physician global assessment were associated with largely affected quality of life. Having exercise habit was associated with lower risk of having largely affected quality of life (OR 0.74; 95% CI [0.56-0.97]; P=0.035). These results were adjusted by having or not a medical insurance.

Conclusion: Severity is the most significant risk factor for largely affected quality of life, along with having medical insurance and no exercise habit. Policy makers should focus on critical conditioned patients and be cautious about the possible negative effect from medical insurance and physical inactivity.