OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that typically presents in people between 20-40 years of age. Approximately 9000 people live with this chronic condition in Ireland. MS inflicts a considerable burden on the health-related quality of life of individuals, and as such, investigating the impact of MS might identify avenues for potential intervention.

METHODS: A survey was developed to capture demographic, disease, healthcare use, employment, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people living with MS in Ireland via the MS Ireland mailing list, social media platforms, and traditional print media. HRQoL was captured using the EuroQol-5D-5L instrument which comprises five domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression). Univariate regression analysis was used to determine whether covariates should be included in the multivariate model using an a priori specified criterion (p≤0.2). Correlation coefficients were estimated to detect the presence of significant correlations between these covariates. Multivariate linear regression models were estimated using robust (Huber-White) standard errors.

RESULTS: A total of 595 people completed the survey in full and of these 541 completed the detailed EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. The mean age of the sample was 47.0 (SD: 12.0) years and 71% were female. The median duration of disease was 6 (IQR: 4-8) years. Of the sample, 57.7%, 35.5%, and 6.8% reported being in a ‘mild’, ‘moderate’, and ‘severe’ disease state, respectively. The mean EQ-5D-5L score among the sample was 0.69 (SD: 0.24). In the multivariate regression analysis, increasing disease severity, being unemployed, being male, and older age were all statistically significantly associated with a reduction in quality of life (all p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Multiple Sclerosis is associated with a significant decrease in HRQoL. In particular, employment status and disease severity were statistically significantly associated with EQ-5D scores, which may provide for useful information for clinicians and/or policy-makers.