Health-related quality of life measured using the EQ-5D-3L: iranian population norms

ABSTRACT

Background

Normative values are valuable for comparing a specific population with the general population, making them particularly useful in disease burden studies and cost-effectiveness analysis. The objective of this study was to estimate HRQoL normative values for the EQ-5D measure in Iran.

Methods

The analysis was performed using a sample (n = 27,704) of the Iranian adult population, which was extracted from a nationwide survey conducted in 2021. Participants assessed their health-related quality of life using the EQ-5D-3 L instrument and a visual analogue scale (EQ VAS). Multivariable regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between utility scores, EQ VAS scores, and various socio-demographic factors.

Results

The mean utility and EQ VAS scores of the total sample were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.86, 0.88) and 72.9 (95% CI: 72.7, 73.1), respectively. Almost half of the respondents (46.8%) reported a health state without any problems. The most prevalent problems were pain/discomfort (38.3%) and anxiety/depression (35.2%). Furthermore, EQ-5D values and EQ VAS scores were associated with gender, age, employment status, education level, marital status, and chronic illness.

Conclusions

This study provided normative values for the general population in Iran. Policymakers and researchers can use these values as a reference for population norms in economic assessments and studies focusing on the population’s health.

KEYWORDS:

• EQ-5D
• EQ VAS
• population norms
• utility score
• health-related quality of life
• Iran

List of abbreviations

HRQoL    Health-related quality of life

EQ VAS   EuroQol Visual analogue scale

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data preparation and analysis were performed by A Mousavi, and F Dastari. The first draft of the manuscript was written by A Mousavi, A A Sari and R Daroudi and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely express their appreciation and gratitude to the National Institute for Health Research of Iran (NIHR) for providing the data used in this study.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, (IR.TUMS.SPH.REC.1401.237). All authors confirm and declare that this study was conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent to participate

The participants were assured that their information would remain confidential. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.