OBJECTIVES: Our aims were to explore the association between work productivity loss, activity impairment and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and to investigate the factors associated with activity impairment in Korean patients with psoriasis.

METHODS: The sample comprised 173 patients diagnosed with chronic psoriasis in the dermatology department of 8 university hospitals in South Korea. The information on clinical characteristics such as disease severity, treatment history, and comorbidities was collected from the medical records. The severity was measured by means of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and the Body Surface Area (BSA) involvement. HRQOL was measured using the Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Work productivity loss and activity impairment were assessed by the the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire. To assess the relationship between productivity loss, activity impairment and quality of life, mean scores for the 8 dimensions of the SF-36 and for the 6 subdomains of the DLQI by levels of productivity loss and activity impairment were calculated. Generalized linear models with a log link and a gamma distribution were performed to explore the factors associated with activity impairment.

RESULTS: Overall work productivity loss and activity impairment due to psoriasis were 26.6% and 40.7%, respectively. Productivity loss or activity impairment were negatively correlated with SF-36 dimension scales, and positively correlated with DLQI total score. Activity impairment was associated with Mental Component Summary (MCS) of the SF-36 and DLQI total score.

CONCLUSIONS: These data regarding the relationship between HRQOL and work productivity loss or activity impairment can assist in designing treatments that are flexible and patient-centered, and eventually improving quality of life not only in the workforce but also in everyday life.