Decrease in health-related quality of life associated with awareness of hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs in Scotland

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• 作者：Scott A. McDonald¹ ; ² ; ^{smcdonald4@nhs.net} ; Sharon J. Hutchinson¹ ; ² ; Norah E. Palmateer¹ ; Elizabeth Allen³ ; Sheila O. Cameron⁴ ; David J. Goldberg¹ ; Avril Taylor³
• 关键词：QoL ; quality of life ; HCV ; hepatitis C virus ; PWID ; people who inject drugs ; NESI ; Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative ; HB ; health board ; DBS ; dried blood spots ; GGC ; Greater Glasgow & Clyde
• 刊名：Journal of Hepatology
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：March, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：58
• 期：3
• 页码：460-466
• 全文大小：721 K

文摘

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Background & Aims

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can significantly reduce health-related quality of life (QoL), but it is not clear if reduction is associated with the infection or with being aware of one¡¯s infection status. Understanding the impact of a HCV diagnosis on QoL is essential to inform decision-making regarding screening/testing and treatment.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional design, we assessed QoL in 2898 people who inject drugs (PWID), surveyed in Scotland during 2010 using EQ-5D. Multifactorial regression compared self-reported QoL between PWID who were (i) chronically HCV-infected and aware of their infected status, (ii) chronically HCV-infected but unaware, and (iii) not chronically infected.

Results

Median time since onset of injecting was 10 years; not chronically infected PWID were younger and had shorter injecting careers than chronically infected PWID. Median EQ-5D was highest for the not chronically infected and the chronic/unaware groups (0.73) compared with the chronic/aware group (0.66). After adjustment for demographic and behavioural co-factors, QoL was significantly reduced in chronic/aware compared with chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B = ?0.09, p = 0.005); there was no evidence for a difference in QoL between not chronically infected and chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B = ?0.03, p = 0.13).

Conclusions

Awareness of one¡¯s chronic HCV status was associated with reduced health-related QoL, but there was no evidence for further reduction attributable to chronic infection itself after adjusting for important covariate differences.