Quality of life varies with gender and age among adults treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate health-related quality of life among adults treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate and to investigate whether patients were affected differently depending on gender and age.


METHODS
Cross-sectional population study with long-term follow-up. PATIENTS/SETTINGS: All unilateral cleft lip and palate patients born 1960-1987 and treated at Uppsala University Hospital were invited (n = 109). Response rate was 79% (n = 86). Mean follow-up time was 35 years. Norm data matched for age and gender were used for comparison (n = 1385).


METHODS
Health-related quality of life measured with the SF-36 questionnaire. High values indicate good level of health-related quality of life.


RESULTS
The total patient group had lower values in the Mental Health subscale compared with norm data (p = .005). Values in all other subscales did not differ from norm data. Women had a higher positive difference than men in the subscale emotional role function compared with the matched norm population (p < .001). The younger age group (20 to 32 years old) consistently had a larger negative difference to matched norm data compared with the older age group (33 to 47 years old) in the subscales social function (p = .009), physical role function (p < .001), and emotional role function (p < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Unilateral cleft lip and palate affected health-related quality of life differently depending on gender and age of the patient. Younger patients were affected more negatively than older patients on several subscales. However, except for the mental health subscale, health-related quality of life was similar among unilateral cleft lip and palate patients and norm data.
Mani
Maria
M
Department of Plastic Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. maria.mani@surgsci.uu.se
Carlsson
Marianne
M
Marcusson
Agneta
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult