Decrease in health-related quality of life associated with awareness of hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs in Scotland.
J Hepatol
; 58(3): 460-6, 2013 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23149064
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & AIMS:
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can significantly reduce health-related quality of life (QoL), but it is not clear if reduction is associated with the infection or with being aware of one's infection status. Understanding the impact of a HCV diagnosis on QoL is essential to inform decision-making regarding screening/testing and treatment.METHODS:
Using a cross-sectional design, we assessed QoL in 2898 people who inject drugs (PWID), surveyed in Scotland during 2010 using EQ-5D. Multifactorial regression compared self-reported QoL between PWID who were (i) chronically HCV-infected and aware of their infected status, (ii) chronically HCV-infected but unaware, and (iii) not chronically infected.RESULTS:
Median time since onset of injecting was 10years; not chronically infected PWID were younger and had shorter injecting careers than chronically infected PWID. Median EQ-5D was highest for the not chronically infected and the chronic/unaware groups (0.73) compared with the chronic/aware group (0.66). After adjustment for demographic and behavioural co-factors, QoL was significantly reduced in chronic/aware compared with chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B=-0.09, p=0.005); there was no evidence for a difference in QoL between not chronically infected and chronic/unaware PWID (adjusted B=-0.03, p=0.13).CONCLUSIONS:
Awareness of one's chronic HCV status was associated with reduced health-related QoL, but there was no evidence for further reduction attributable to chronic infection itself after adjusting for important covariate differences.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Qualidade de Vida
/
Conscientização
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Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa
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Hepatite C Crônica
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
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Prevalence_studies
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Prognostic_studies
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Qualitative_research
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Hepatol
Assunto da revista:
GASTROENTEROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2013
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Reino Unido