Quality of life in managed care patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
The relationship between the severity of abdominal discomfort/pain and generic and disease-specific quality of life (QoL) was explored in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in an MCO. Subjects were stratified into four symptom-severity groups. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship of QoL to severity of abdominal discomfort/pain. Generic and disease-specific QoL scores declined as severity of abdominal discomfort/pain increased. The lowest 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey scores for respondents with the most severe abdominal discomfort/pain were for role physical (24.2 +/- 35.4) and vitality (33.7 +/- 19.2). In multivariate regression models controlling for age, sex, work status and education, severity of abdominal discomfort/pain was a significant independent predictor of QoL.
Wilson
Alisa
A
Zynx Health Inc., Los Angeles, California, USA. Awilson@cerner.com
Longstreth
George F
GF
Knight
Kevin
K
Wong
John
J
Wade
Sally
S
Chiou
Chiun-Fang
CF
Barghout
Victoria
V
Frech
Feride
F
Ofman
Joshua J
JJ
D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States