title: Assessment of health-related quality of life and related factors in patients with chronic liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessing health-related quality of life is an important aspect of clinical practice. Thus, the present study attempts to assess the health-related quality of life of patients with chronic liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 133 chronic liver disease patients, using three instruments: a demographic questionnaire, the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease index. Variables were expressed as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The statistical analysis included Pearson's correlation, Student's t-test, and analysis of variance (p<0.05 was considered significant).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of included subjects was 50.5±13.3 years. The majority were male (66.2%), Caucasian (70.7%), and had a family income of US$329-US$658.2. Over half of the patients (56.4%) were infected by hepatitis C virus and 93.2% had low Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores. Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was related to age (r=0.185; p=0.033). Higher mean Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire scores were obtained for emotional function (39.70/SD±12.98) and while lower scores were obtained for abdominal symptoms (16.00/SD±6.25). Fifty-two patients (39.1%) presented overall low (<5) Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire scores. Furthermore, Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire score was related to family income (r=0.187, p=0.031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most individuals presented high mean Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire scores, indicating low health-related quality of life, especially individuals with low family income.
authors.affiliation: Preventive and Social Dentistry Post-graduation Program, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Araçatuba, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: neilapsouza@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Neila Paula de
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hepatites Virais, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Livia Melo
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Villar
authors.affiliation: Preventive and Social Dentistry Post-graduation Program, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Araçatuba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Artênio José Ísper
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Garbin
authors.affiliation: Preventive and Social Dentistry Post-graduation Program, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Araçatuba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tânia Adas Saliba
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Rovida
authors.affiliation: Preventive and Social Dentistry Post-graduation Program, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Araçatuba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cléa Adas Saliba
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Garbin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Hepatitis; Liver cirrhosis; Quality of life