Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and Its Associated Factors among Chinese Gout Patients: Baseline Findings From a Survey Study
Author(s)
Nuoming Xu, PhD candidate1, Shitong Xie, PhD1, Tianqi Hong, PhD2, Jing Wu, PhD1.
1School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 2School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
1School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 2School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL of gout patients and examine the association of socio-demographic, gout-specific, and comorbid characteristics and medication use with HRQOL measured by both generic EQ-5D-5L and gout-specific Gout Impact Scale (GIS) among gout patients in China.
METHODS: A representative sample of gout patients was recruited, stratified by age, sex, registered residence, and education level. Data on socio-demographic, gout-specific, and comorbid characteristics, medications, and self-reported EQ-5D-5L, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and GIS responses were collected through an online survey. Differences in characteristics between respondents with and without tophi and physical disability (HAQ-DI scores≥0.5) were tested using t-test or chi-squared test. One-sample t-test compared EQ-5D-5L utility values of respondents to Chinese population norms. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tested the GIS and EQ-5D-5L score differences across subgroups defined by gout-specific and socio-demographic variables. Adjusted multiple linear regression was employed to examine relationships between GIS and EQ-5D-5L scores and other variables.
RESULTS: A total of 1,000 respondents were included in the study, with 69.7% male and an average age of 54.5. Significant differences (P<0.001) in gout-specific characteristics, medication use, and HRQoL were observed between respondents with and without tophi and disability. Respondents’ EQ-5D-5L utility values were significantly lower than Chinese population norms (0.77 vs. 0.94, P<0.001). Both EQ-5D-5L and GIS scores differed significantly across gout-specific subgroups (P<0.001), while EQ-5D-5L scores showed no significant difference among age groups (P=0.093). Regression analyses identified ethnic group, cardiac comorbidities, flare frequency, pain intensity, exercise intensity, number of hospitalization and outpatient visits, and the number of involved joints as main factors influencing EQ-5D-5L and GIS scores (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The impaired HRQOL of Chinese gout patients is attributed to socio-demographic, gout-specific, and comorbid characteristics and medication use. Future studies focusing on gout-specific characteristics and medications should prioritize using generic instruments.
METHODS: A representative sample of gout patients was recruited, stratified by age, sex, registered residence, and education level. Data on socio-demographic, gout-specific, and comorbid characteristics, medications, and self-reported EQ-5D-5L, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and GIS responses were collected through an online survey. Differences in characteristics between respondents with and without tophi and physical disability (HAQ-DI scores≥0.5) were tested using t-test or chi-squared test. One-sample t-test compared EQ-5D-5L utility values of respondents to Chinese population norms. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tested the GIS and EQ-5D-5L score differences across subgroups defined by gout-specific and socio-demographic variables. Adjusted multiple linear regression was employed to examine relationships between GIS and EQ-5D-5L scores and other variables.
RESULTS: A total of 1,000 respondents were included in the study, with 69.7% male and an average age of 54.5. Significant differences (P<0.001) in gout-specific characteristics, medication use, and HRQoL were observed between respondents with and without tophi and disability. Respondents’ EQ-5D-5L utility values were significantly lower than Chinese population norms (0.77 vs. 0.94, P<0.001). Both EQ-5D-5L and GIS scores differed significantly across gout-specific subgroups (P<0.001), while EQ-5D-5L scores showed no significant difference among age groups (P=0.093). Regression analyses identified ethnic group, cardiac comorbidities, flare frequency, pain intensity, exercise intensity, number of hospitalization and outpatient visits, and the number of involved joints as main factors influencing EQ-5D-5L and GIS scores (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The impaired HRQOL of Chinese gout patients is attributed to socio-demographic, gout-specific, and comorbid characteristics and medication use. Future studies focusing on gout-specific characteristics and medications should prioritize using generic instruments.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
PCR112
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
Musculoskeletal Disorders (Arthritis, Bone Disorders, Osteoporosis, Other Musculoskeletal)