OBJECTIVES: To assess and compare the utilities in general and specific groups of Chinese population using EQ-5D and ICECAP-A instruments.

METHODS: Tariffs based on Chinese population were employed to derive the EQ-5D utilities, while UK tariff was used to calculate the ICECAP-A scores. Values between different populations were compared by t test. Polychoric correlation analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted to estimate the relationship between the dimension scores and overall utilities from different instruments, respectively.

RESULTS: Data from 401 general respondents with quotas in Shijiazhuang and Shenyang city were collected (age 42.84±15.26 years; female 49.38%). The mean and median EQ-5D-3L [EQ-5D-5L] utilities for the general population (total sample) were 0.955 [0.961] and 1 [1], respectively; while the lowest value was 0.505 [0.491] with interquartile range (IQR) of 0.125 [0.058]. The mean ICECAP-A utility for all was 0.872, and the median utility was 0.881 [IQR 0.134]. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient between EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L values, EQ-5D-3L and ICECAP-A values, EQ-5D-5L and ICECAP-A values were 0.549, 0.240, 0.292 [P<0.01 for all], respectively. Polychoric correlation coefficients varied with specific dimension. Female had statistically significant lower EQ-5D-3L [0.947, male for 0.963] and EQ-5D-5L values [0.954, male for 0.968]; married people had statistically significant higher EQ-5D-3L [0.962, others for 0.939], EQ-5D-5L [0.964, others for 0.952] and ICECAP-A values [0.882, others for 0.853]; people with chronic disease had statistically significant lower EQ-5D-3L [0.936, healthy people for 0.960] and EQ-5D-5L values [0.937, healthy people for 0.967].

CONCLUSIONS: Although different values were elicited in general Chinese population using EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L, the differences were very small, and the same appearances were found in people with different gender, marital status and levels of happiness. However, the differences between the EQ-5D and ICECAP-A scores were meaningful. ICECAP-A can complement the EQ-5D to measure well-being and general Qol.