title: Health related quality of life in Crohn's proctocolitis does not differ from a general population when in remission.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  All treatment in Crohn's disease, although palliative, aims at restoring full health. The objective of this study was to compare health-related quality of life and psychosocial conditions in patients with Crohn's proctocolitis with a general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-seven patients with Crohn's proctocolitis (median age 44 years, 44.1% men) were compared with 266 controls (median age 45 years, 50.7% men). A questionnaire consisting of the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) evaluating general health as well as questions regarding psychosocial conditions was used. Disease activity was evaluated by Best's modification of the classical Crohn's Disease Activity Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in remission had a health related quality of life similar to controls according to the SF-36 apart from general health where scores were lower (P < 0.01). Patients with active disease scored lower in all aspects of the SF-36 (P < 0.001 or P < 0.0001) as well as the PGWB (P < 0.0001). In a model for multiple regression including age, gender, concomitant small bowel disease, permanent stoma, previous colonic surgery, disease activity, duration, and aggressiveness, disease activity was the only variable negatively predicting all 8 domains of the SF-36 in the patient group (P < 0.001). The mean annual sick-leave for patients and controls were 33.9 and 9.5 days (P < 0.0001), respectively. Sixty-eight percent of the patients and 78.4% of the controls (P = 0.04) were married or cohabited, 67.7% and 78.0% (P = 0.04), respectively, had children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The health related quality of life for patients with Crohn's proctocolitis in remission does not differ from the general population. The disease has, however, a negative impact on parenthood, family life and professional performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, University Hospital, S-58185 Linköping, Sweden. Peter.Andersson@lio.se
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Olaison
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bendtsen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Myrelid
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sjödahl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011350:Proctocolitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires