REAL-WORLD RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE EQ-5D-5L IN CHINESE PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Author(s)
Wenbin Tang, PhD, MD1, Fang Liu, PhD, MD1, Yang Luo, MD1, Ting Zhang, MD1, Zixuan Zhu, MD1, Yang Tang, MD2, Li Yan, MD2, Huiqing Huang, MD2, Wendong Chen, PhD, MD1;
1Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China, 2Changsha Normin Health Technology Ltd, Changsha, China
1Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China, 2Changsha Normin Health Technology Ltd, Changsha, China
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) in Chinese patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD).
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between August 2024 and June 2025. The EQ-5D-5L was administered within 48 hours of hospital admission in inpatients with DKD. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s α coefficient, and criterion validity was assessed with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between clinical characteristics and EQ-5D utility scores.
RESULTS: A total of 225 Chinese patients with DKD were included in this study, with a mean age of 60.0 ± 11.5 years, and 64.0% were male. Internal consistency analysis showed a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.758 for the EQ-5D-5L. Item-deletion analysis showed α values of 0.631, 0.656, and 0.649 after deletion of mobility, self-care, and usual activities, respectively. Criterion validity was supported by a moderate positive correlation between EQ-5D utility scores and visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings (r = 0.606, P < 0.001). All five EQ-5D dimensions were significantly correlated with VAS scores (r = 0.362 to 0.460, all P < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that older age (coefficient: -0.003, P = 0.032), gastrointestinal symptoms (coefficient: -0.146, P = 0.028), hemodialysis-related complications (coefficient: -0.155, P = 0.032), and cardiac disease (coefficient: -0.076, P = 0.034) were independently associated with lower EQ-5D utility values, whereas male sex was associated with higher utility scores (coefficient: 0.075, P = 0.019).
CONCLUSIONS: The EQ-5D-5L demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity in real-world Chinese patients with DKD, supporting its use for health-related quality of life assessment and health economic evaluations for DKD in China. Observed associations with clinical characteristics underscore the importance of contextual interpretation of utility values.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between August 2024 and June 2025. The EQ-5D-5L was administered within 48 hours of hospital admission in inpatients with DKD. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s α coefficient, and criterion validity was assessed with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between clinical characteristics and EQ-5D utility scores.
RESULTS: A total of 225 Chinese patients with DKD were included in this study, with a mean age of 60.0 ± 11.5 years, and 64.0% were male. Internal consistency analysis showed a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.758 for the EQ-5D-5L. Item-deletion analysis showed α values of 0.631, 0.656, and 0.649 after deletion of mobility, self-care, and usual activities, respectively. Criterion validity was supported by a moderate positive correlation between EQ-5D utility scores and visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings (r = 0.606, P < 0.001). All five EQ-5D dimensions were significantly correlated with VAS scores (r = 0.362 to 0.460, all P < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that older age (coefficient: -0.003, P = 0.032), gastrointestinal symptoms (coefficient: -0.146, P = 0.028), hemodialysis-related complications (coefficient: -0.155, P = 0.032), and cardiac disease (coefficient: -0.076, P = 0.034) were independently associated with lower EQ-5D utility values, whereas male sex was associated with higher utility scores (coefficient: 0.075, P = 0.019).
CONCLUSIONS: The EQ-5D-5L demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity in real-world Chinese patients with DKD, supporting its use for health-related quality of life assessment and health economic evaluations for DKD in China. Observed associations with clinical characteristics underscore the importance of contextual interpretation of utility values.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
PCR199
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
SDC: Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity), SDC: Urinary/Kidney Disorders