title: [Measurement of the quality of life in chronic hepatitis C: validation of a general index and specific index. First French results].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the validation of 2 questionnaires of quality of life in chronic hepatitis C and the first results in 100 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The questionnaire included 118 items and took 30 to 45 minutes to answer. It included a general index, the Nottingham Health Profile, with 38 items in 6 themes (physical mobility, social isolation, emotional reactions, pain, sleep and energy) and a specific index, the Montpellier Specific Index, with 80 items in 7 themes: symptoms, food, alcohol and tobacco, work, relations with other people, perception of disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The questionnaires were self-administered to the 100 first patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis before treatment; 55 men, 45 women, average age 40 year-old, median Knodell's score 8 and median METAVIR score A2 F1. Reduction in the quality of life was frequent and was not highly correlated with biological, virological and histological parameters; it was associated with psychological disorders, reduced sexuality and apprehension of the future.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed the feasibility, validation, sensitivity and agreement of a quality of life questionnaire, which included a general index and a specific index of chronic hepatitis C in France. These initial results must be confirmed in studies during antiviral treatment of patients.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Hépato-Gastroenterologie, Hôpital Saing-Eloi, Montpellier.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Remy
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Daurès
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tanguy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khemissa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chevrier
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lezotre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larrey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires