title: A cross sectional assessment of health related quality of life among patients with Hepatitis-B in Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aims to assess Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) among Hepatitis B (HB) patients and to identify significant predictors of the HRQoL in HB patients of Quetta, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study by adopting European Quality of Life scale (EQ-5D) for the assessment of HRQoL was conducted. All registered HB patients attending two public hospitals in Quetta, Pakistan were approached for study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic and disease related characteristics of the patients. HRQoL was scored using values adapted from the United Kingdom general population survey. EQ-5D scale scores were compared with Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test. Standard multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of HRQoL. All analyses were performed using SPSS v 16.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and ninety HB patients were enrolled in the study. Majority of the participants (n = 126, 32.3%) were categorized in the age group of 18-27 years (36.07 ± 9.23). HRQoL was measured as poor in the current study patients (0.3498 ± 0.31785). The multivariate analysis revealed a significant model (F(10, 380) = 40.04, P < 0.001, adjusted r(2) = 0.401). Educational level (β = 0.399, p = 0.025) emerged as a positive predictor of HRQoL. Age, gender, occupation, income and locality were not predictive of better quality of life in HB patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatitis B has an adverse affect on patients' well-being and over all HRQoL. The study findings implicate the need of health promotion among HB patients. Improving the educational status and imparting disease related information for the local population can results in better control and management of HB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Baluchistan, Quetta, Pakistan/Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. nomanhaq79@gmail.com
authors.forename: Noman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: ul Haq
authors.forename: Mohamed Azmi
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hassali
authors.forename: Asrul A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shafie
authors.forename: Fahad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saleem
authors.forename: Hisham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aljadhey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires