title: Health-related quality of life of australians with Parkinson disease: a comparison with international studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study describes the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Australians living with Parkinson disease (PD) and compares the findings to international reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) was used to measure HRQOL in 210 individuals with PD living in Australia. In parallel, a tailored literature search identified previous studies on HROQL in people with PD. A quantitative meta-analysis with a random-effects model was used to compare the HRQOL of individuals with PD living in Australia and other countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean PDQ-39 summary index (SI) score for this sample of Australians with PD was 20.9 (SD 12.7). Ratings for the dimension of social support and stigma were significantly lower than ratings for bodily discomfort, mobility, activities of daily living, cognition, and emotional well-being. Comparing the Australian and international PD samples revealed a significant heterogeneity in overall HRQOL (I(2)=97%). The mean PDQ-39 SI scores for Australians were lower, indicating better HRQOL relative to samples from other countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This Australian sample with PD perceived their HRQOL as poor, although it was less severely compromised than that of international samples. While further research is required, these findings can inform the clinical decision-making processes of physiotherapists.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Alfred Health ; Physiotherapy Department, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne.
authors.forename: Sze-Ee
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McGinley
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iansek
authors.forename: Meg E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Morris
keywords: Australia; Parkinson disease; meta-analysis; quality of life