The effects of illness on quality of life: findings from a survey of households in Great Britain.
OBJECTIVE
To obtain national population norms on pertinent domains of quality of life, and the relative importance of these domains to people with reported longstanding illness.


METHODS
The vehicle for the study was the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys omnibus survey in Great Britain. The sampling frame was the British postcode address file of "small users", stratified by region and socioeconomic factors. This file includes all private household addresses. The postal sectors are selected with probability proportional to size. Within each sector 30 addresses are selected randomly with an target size of 2000 adults.


METHODS
The total number of adults interviewed was 2033 (one per sampled household), resulting in 2031 usable questionnaires, and representing a response rate of 77%.


RESULTS
Of those who reported a longstanding illness, the most common, freely mentioned, first most important effects of the longstanding illness on their lives were (in order of frequency) ability to get out and about/stand/walk/go out shopping, being able to work/find a job, and effects on social life/leisure activities. Analysis of the areas of life affected by longstanding illness, showed considerable variation in relation to the condition. For example, respondents with mental health disorders (mainly depression) were most likely to report as the first most important effect the availability of work/ability to work, followed by social life/leisure activities; respondents with digestive and endocrine (for example, diabetes) disorders were most likely to report dietary restrictions; while respondents with cardiovascular disease, respiratory, and musculoskeletal disorders were most likely to report ability to get out and about/stand/walk/go out shopping.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the current trend of developing disease specific health related quality of life questionnaires rather than using generic scales.
Bowling
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Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education, University College London Medical School.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom