Abstract

Objectives

The EuroQol Health and Well-Being (EQ-HWB) is a new generic quality of life (QOL) questionnaire to capture broader aspects of health and well-being than EQ-5D-5L. This study examined the measurement properties of the preliminary EQ-HWB version in patients, healthy individuals, and healthy caregivers.

Methods

Respondents (1) with or without caregiver tasks, (2) with different diseases, or (3) in full health were recruited online. Ceiling effects, convergent and divergent validity, known disease, and caregiver group differences were explored, and an exploratory factor analysis was used.

Results

A total of 500 respondents were recruited, including 100 healthy individuals (excluding 40 healthy caregivers), 122 with chronic hepatitis B, 101 with HIV/AIDS, 107 with depression, and 90 with generalized anxiety disorder. The EQ-HWB activities dimension correlated most highly with the EQ-5D-5L mobility, self-care, and usual activities dimensions, whereas EQ-HWB physical sensation dimension was strongly related to the EQ-5D-5L pain/discomfort dimension. Additional EQ-HWB dimensions (self-identity, cognition, autonomy, feelings and emotions, and relationships) aligned most closely with the EQ-5D-5L anxiety/depression dimension. Both instruments differentiated disease burden across healthy individuals and patients and identified caregiving roles. The EQ-5D-5L revealed 3 factors in exploratory factor analysis, whereas the EQ-HWB included 2 additional factors (F1 cognition, F2 physical activity, F3 feelings and emotions, F4 positive items, and F5 physical sensation).

Conclusions

EQ-HWB is able to measure health-related QOL in healthy people, patients, and caregivers given that it shares the same conceptual structure with EQ-5D. EQ-HWB is more sensitive in patients with mental health conditions than the EQ-5D. These results support that EQ-HWB captures well-being alongside health-related QOL.