A Head-to-Head Comparison of EQ-HWB and EQ-5D-5L in Patients, Carers, and General Public in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to understand the psychometric properties of EQ Health and Wellbeing (EQ-HWB) and to examine its relationship with EQ-5D-5L in a sample covering patients, carers, and general public. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guizhou Province, China. The acceptability, convergent validity (using Spearman correlation coefficients), internal structure (using exploratory factor analysis), and known-group validity of EQ-HWB, EQ-HWB-Short (EQ-HWB-S), and EQ-5D-5L were reported and compared. RESULTS: A total of 323 participants completed the survey, including 106 patients, 101 carers, and 116 individuals from the general public. Approximately 7.4% of participants had at least 1 missing response. In the EQ-HWB and EQ-5D-5L items related to activities, there were more level 1 responses. The correlations between EQ-HWB and EQ-5D-5L items ranged from low to high, confirming the convergent validity of similar aspects between the 2 instruments. Notably, EQ-HWB measures 2 additional factors compared with EQ-5D-5L or EQ-HWB-S, both of which share 3 common factors. When the patient group was included, EQ-5D-5L had the largest effect size, but it failed to differentiate between the groups of general public and carers. Both EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S demonstrated better known-group validity results when carers were included. CONCLUSIONS: EQ-HWB measures a broader quality of life construct that goes beyond health measured by EQ-5D-5L. By encompassing a broader scope, the impact of healthcare interventions may become diluted, given that other factors can influence well-being outcomes as significantly as health conditions do.

A Comparison of Items and Constructs of Standardized Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Well-Being Measures.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the internal constructs of the concepts being measured by EQ-5D-5L (a health-related quality of life measure that can produce preference-based utility values) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12, a mental well-being measure) and to understand to what extent the items of EQ-5D-5L and GHQ-12 associate with each other. METHODS: We used data from 12 701 respondents participating in a Belgian survey in 2022. Correlation coefficients between GHQ-12 and EQ-5D-5L were calculated at both the aggregate and item levels. Multidimensional scaling, exploratory factor analysis, and regression models were performed to investigate the underlying constructs that are associated with the items. RESULTS: Despite a moderate correlation (0.39) between the EQ-5D-5L and GHQ-12 total scores, only a trivial or weak correlation (<0.3) was observed between the first 4 EQ-5D-5L items and any GHQ-12 item. Multidimensional scaling and exploratory factor analysis showed the first 4 EQ-5D-5L dimensions were clustered together with EuroQol visual analog scale and positively phrased GHQ-12 items were close to each other, whereas EQ-anxiety/depression and negatively phrased GHQ-12 items were grouped with overall life satisfaction. In the regression models, not all GHQ-12 items had a significant coefficient to predict EQ-5D-5L responses. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, we present the first comparison of items and underlying constructs of GHQ-12 and EQ-5D-5L. The results showed that GHQ-12 can only partially predict the responses of EQ-5D-5L and the 2 instruments measure different constructs. Researchers should carefully consider conceptual legitimacy while applying the mapping technique and consider sensitivity analyses for the mapping estimates.

Measurement properties of the EQ-5D-Y-3L, PedsQL 4.0, and PROMIS-25 Profile v2.0 in pediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-Y-3 L, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement System 25-item version profile v2.0 (PROMIS-25), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ version 4.0 Generic Core Scale (PedsQL 4.0) in Chinese pediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). METHODS: The data used in this study were obtained via a web-based cross-sectional survey. Parents of pediatric patients with SMA completed the proxy-reported EQ-5D-Y-3 L, PedsQL 4.0, and PROMIS-25 measures. Information about socioeconomic and health status was also obtained. The ceiling and floor effects, factorial structure, convergent validity, and known-group validity of the three measures were assessed. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-three parents of children aged from 5 to 12 completed the questionnaires. Strong floor effects were observed for the physical function components of the PROMIS-25 (41.3%) and PedsQL 4.0 (67.8%). For EQ-5D-Y-3 L, 84.6% of the respondents reported having "a lot of" problems with the dimensions "walking" and "looking after myself." Minimal ceiling or floor effects were observed for the EQ-5D-Y-3 L index value. The confirmatory factor analysis supported a six-factor structure for the PROMIS-25, but did not support a four-factor structure for the PedsQL 4.0. All hypothesized correlations of the dimensions among the three measures were confirmed, with coefficients ranging from 0.28 to 0.68. Analysis of variance showed that EQ-5D-Y-3 L demonstrated better known-group validity than the other two measures in 14 out of 16 comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: The EQ-5D-Y-3 L showed better discriminant power than the other two measures. The physical health dimensions of all three measures showed the significant floor effects. These findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of these measures at capturing and quantifying the impact of SMA on patients' health-related quality of life.

COVID-19-related health utility values and changes in COVID-19 patients and the general population: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: To summarise the diverse literature reporting the impact of COVID-19 on health utility in COVID-19 patients as well as in general populations being affected by COVID-19 control policies. METHODS: A literature search up to April 2023 was conducted to identify papers reporting health utility in COVID-19 patients or in COVID-19-affected general populations. We present a narrative synthesis of the health utility values/losses of the retained studies to show the mean health utility values/losses with 95% confidence intervals. Mean utility values/losses for categories defined by medical attendance and data collection time were calculated using random-effects models. RESULTS: In total, 98 studies-68 studies on COVID-19 patients and 30 studies on general populations-were retained for detailed review. Mean (95% CI) health utility values were 0.83 (0.81, 0.86), 0.78 (0.73, 0.83), 0.82 (0.78, 0.86) and 0.71 (0.65, 0.78) for general populations, non-hospitalised, hospitalised and ICU patients, respectively, irrespective of the data collection time. Mean utility losses in patients and general populations ranged from 0.03 to 0.34 and from 0.02 to 0.18, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review provides a summary of the health utility impact of COVID-19 and COVID-19 control policies. COVID-19-affected populations were reported to have poor health utility, while a high degree of heterogeneity was observed across studies. Population- and/or country-specific health utility is recommended for use in future economic evaluation on COVID-19-related interventions.

Differences and common ground in the frameworks of health-related quality of life in traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review aims to explore the conceptualization of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in China. With HRQoL influenced by both modern medicine (MM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the study seeks to identify differences and common ground between the frameworks of MM and TCM as defined in the literature. METHOD: A systematic literature search was conducted across three Chinese databases and four English databases. The data was extracted including title, author(s), publication year, region, aim, method, category, and result. When sorting data, we broke down the HRQoL frameworks into concepts, domains and facets, with a focus on overlapped facets between the frameworks of MM and TCM. RESULTS: A total of 31 studies were included. In the perspective of TCM, HRQoL is centered around three key 'concepts': (1) 'xingshentongyi' (unity of body and spirit), (2) 'tianrenheyi' (harmony between man and nature), and (3) 'qiqing' (seven emotional forms). In contrast, the MM framework comprises 'physical,' 'mental,' 'social,' and 'environment' domains. Out of the 59 unique facets identified, 28 are common to both TCM and MM, 9 specific to TCM, and 22 specific to MM. 'Appetite,' 'sleep,' and 'energy' are the most frequently mentioned facets in both frameworks. CONCLUSION: The concept of HRQoL in China encompasses frameworks rooted in both TCM and MM. While TCM and MM have distinct healthcare approaches, they share overlapping domains when measuring HRQoL through questionnaires. Furthermore, TCM and MM demonstrate considerable convergence in terms of HRQoL facets, showing the potential for utilizing HRQoL instruments across different cultural settings.

The impact of quality-adjusted life years on evaluating COVID-19 mitigation strategies: lessons from age-specific vaccination roll-out and variants of concern in Belgium (2020-2022).

BACKGROUND: When formulating and evaluating COVID-19 vaccination strategies, an emphasis has been placed on preventing severe disease that overburdens healthcare systems and leads to mortality. However, more conventional outcomes such as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and inequality indicators are warranted as additional information for policymakers. METHODS: We adopted a mathematical transmission model to describe the infectious disease dynamics of SARS-COV-2, including disease mortality and morbidity, and to evaluate (non)pharmaceutical interventions. Therefore, we considered temporal immunity levels, together with the distinct transmissibility of variants of concern (VOCs) and their corresponding vaccine effectiveness. We included both general and age-specific characteristics related to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Our scenario study is informed by data from Belgium, focusing on the period from August 2021 until February 2022, when vaccination for children aged 5-11 years was initially not yet licensed and first booster doses were administered to adults. More specifically, we investigated the potential impact of an earlier vaccination programme for children and increased or reduced historical adult booster dose uptake. RESULTS: Through simulations, we demonstrate that increasing vaccine uptake in children aged 5-11 years in August-September 2021 could have led to reduced disease incidence and ICU occupancy, which was an essential indicator for implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions and maintaining healthcare system functionality. However, an enhanced booster dose regimen for adults from November 2021 onward could have resulted in more substantial cumulative QALY gains, particularly through the prevention of elevated levels of infection and disease incidence associated with the emergence of Omicron VOC. In both scenarios, the need for non-pharmaceutical interventions could have decreased, potentially boosting economic activity and mental well-being. CONCLUSIONS: When calculating the impact of measures to mitigate disease spread in terms of life years lost due to COVID-19 mortality, we highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the health-related quality of life of survivors. Our study underscores that disease-related morbidity could constitute a significant part of the overall health burden. Our quantitative findings depend on the specific setup of the interventions under review, which is open to debate or should be contextualised within future situations.

[Comparison Between EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire and Short-Form 6-Dimension Health Survey for the Populations in China:A Scoping Review].

Objective By review of the studies comparing the measurements properties of EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D) and short-form 6-dimension health survey (SF-6D) in Chinese populations,this study aims to provide a reference for selecting,applying,and improving the health-related quality of life and health utility measurement tools for Chinese populations.Methods We retrieved the original studies which compared the two tools from both Chinese and English databases and then summarized the findings of the included studies from the measurement properties.Results A total of 12 studies were screened out,including 9 studies about diseased populations and 3 studies about the general populations.The included studies generally demonstrated that both EQ-5D and SF-6D had good feasibility,while the utility scores generated from them cannot be used interchangeably.For the diseased populations,both EQ-5D and SF-6D and their utility scores had good construct validity,including convergent and known-groups validity,while only the utility scores had good construct validity for the general populations.For the diseased populations,SF-6D had smaller ceiling effect and better sensitivity than EQ-5D-3L,while the comparison results between SF-6D and EQ-5D-5L were inconsistent.For the general populations,SF-6D also had better sensitivity than EQ-5D.In addition,there was little comparative evidence for reliability such as test-retest reliability and responsiveness between SF-6D and SF-6D in the two populations.Conclusion This review summarized the characteristics,methods,results,and conclusions of the studies that directly compared the two tools for the populations in China.Although only the studies directly comparing EQ-5D and SF-6D are included in this review,the common findings in these studies provide a basis for better comparison between the two in the future.

Economic Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza Infection in European Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus infections result in a considerable mortality and morbidity among the aging population globally. Influenza vaccination for older adults before the seasonal influenza epidemic has been evaluated to be cost-effective in many countries. Interventions against RSV in older adults are in the pipeline, and evaluating their cost-effectiveness is crucial for decision making. To inform such evaluations, our aim was to estimate average costs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older adults with RSV and influenza infection. METHODS: The European RESCEU observational cohort study followed 1040 relatively healthy community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and older during 2 consecutive winter seasons. Health care resource use and HRQoL were collected and analyzed during RSV episodes, and also during influenza episodes. Country-specific unit cost data were mainly obtained from national databases. Direct costs were estimated from a patient, health care provider, and health care payers' perspective, whereas indirect costs were estimated from a societal perspective. Due to small sample size, no formal statistical comparisons were made. RESULTS: Thirty-six RSV and 60 influenza episodes were reported, including 1 hospitalization. Means (median; first-third quartile) of €26.4 (€5.5; 0-47.3) direct and €4.4 (€0; 0-0) indirect costs were reported per nonhospitalized RSV episode, and €42.5 (€36; 3.3-66.7) direct and €32.1 (€0; 0-0) indirect costs per nonhospitalized influenza episode. For RSV episodes, the utility value decreased from 0.896 (0.928; 0.854-0.953) to 0.801 (0.854; 0.712-0.937) from preseason to 1 week after symptom onset; for influenza, the change was from 0.872 (0.895; 0.828-0.953) to 0.664 (0.686; 0.574-0.797). CONCLUSIONS: The average costs and HRQoL estimates of older adults treated outside the hospital can be used to inform the design of future studies and the decision making regarding interventions to prevent RSV infection in older adults. Larger studies are needed to provide better country-specific and complementary cost estimates and to allow for formal statistical comparison of costs between RSV and influenza. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03621930.

Development and validation of the health-related quality of life instrument for Chinese infertile couples: a mixed-methods study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Infertility and its treatment have negative impacts on a couple's marital relationship, sexual life, psychological state and interpersonal relationships, causing personal distress. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become an important component of health outcomes. HRQoL instruments developed in western culture are not always appropriate for use in China due to cultural differences. Probably due to the unique concept of fertility in China, infertility patients can be looked down upon and the family may  feel shameful. This study aims to develop a HRQoL instrument for infertile couples based on the Chinese social and cultural setting. METHODS: Complementary mixed methods will be used to develop a new HRQoL instrument for Chinese infertile couples. The study consists of four stages: the first stage will involve a systematic review and qualitative interviews to construct draft candidate items. In the second stage, quantitative research [e.g., exploratory factor analysis (EFA), item response theory (IRT)] and cognitive interviews will be used for item selection. The third stage will be instrument validation, in which classical test theory (CTT) and IRT will be applied. In the final stage, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) will be calculated by using distribution-based methods and anchor-based methods (e.g., logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic curve). DISCUSSION: The new HRQoL instrument for Chinese infertile couples will be developed, which will provide a standard and effective HRQoL instrument in clinical outcome assessment and health outcome measurement.

The negative factors influencing the career intention of general practice trainees in eastern China: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: There is an acute shortage of general practitioners (GPs) in China, and GP trainees seem to be less willing to develop their career as a GP. This study aimed to investigate negative factors influencing the career intention of GPs in eastern China from the perspective of trainees taking standardized residency training, as to identify the barriers of GP trainees becoming registered GPs, and to provide a policy-making basis for GP recruitment and retention. METHODS: A qualitative description design by the purposive sample was carried out in two training bases of Jinan and Qingdao in eastern China. Face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted, audiotaped, and transcribed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-one trainees participated in this study. Thematic analysis generated five major themes: (1) low social recognition, (2) low professional identity, (3) low remuneration level, (4) imperfect training system, and (5) influence of policy factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results identified various negative factors influencing the career intentions of trainees. In order to overcome the hurdles and increase the attractiveness of GP, it is recommended that the government and the public should create a supportive environment, which can be beneficial to the construction and development of GP.

The Unfolding Method to Explore Health-Related Quality of Life Constructs in a Chinese General Population.

OBJECTIVES: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a complicated concept that can be measured using multiple health items. Although HRQOL is closely associated with people's subjective assessment of their own health, a limited number of studies have investigated which health items are considered most important and relevant by the general population. Even fewer empirical studies have investigated how HRQOL is understood in non-Western populations. This study used multidimensional unfolding analysis in a Chinese general population to explore the constructs of HRQOL. METHODS: A scoping review of Chinese generic HRQOL measures and a series of qualitative interviews produced a list of 42 potentially important health items in a Chinese cultural setting; 110 Chinese participants in face-to-face interviews ranked the health items from most important to least important. Responses were coded into a rectangular 110 × 42 matrix, and multidimensional unfolding was conducted to analyze participants' preferences for health items. RESULTS: It was found that demographic characteristics and one's health condition affected views of HRQOL. Meanwhile, 3 health items were considered to be most important across the whole sample: sleep quality, body constitution, and spiritual appearance. CONCLUSION: This study used a novel approach to explore how people coming from a Chinese cultural setting may perceive HRQOL and which aspects of HRQOL are most important to them. The study shows that multidimensional unfolding is a feasible approach to assess preferences in a general population. Future studies using this approach are recommended to further explore the constructs of HRQOL in other general populations.

Impact of moderate-to-severe psoriasis on quality of life in China: a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: Psoriasis is a serious health problem. Since limited research has investigated the impact of psoriasis on the quality of life of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, this study aimed to explore this issue. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted with 22 psoriasis patients from two cities in Shandong province of eastern China participating in one-to-one semi-structured in-depth interviews. RESULTS: Thematic analysis generated five major themes: (1) Symptoms, symptoms management and pain; (2) Functioning and activities of daily living (ADLs); (3) Psychological impact; (4) Social impact; (5) Employment and finances. CONCLUSION: Our study detailed the effects of psoriasis on patients' symptoms, symptoms management and pain, functioning and activities of daily living (ADLs), psychological impact, social impact, employment and finances. These data can provide a reference for studying the quality of life in patients with psoriasis.

Barriers to medication adherence for rural patients with mental disorders in eastern China: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are destructive and usually require long-term medication, but non-adherence of medication is highly prevalent in patients with mental disorders. Previous studies relating to medication non-adherence were mainly quantitative. Meanwhile, there have been even fewer studies conducted in rural areas in China that focused on patients' medication non-adherence. This study aims to explore the barriers to medication adherence for rural patients with mental disorders in China from the perspectives of patients, patients' family members and healthcare providers. METHODS: A qualitative study was carried out in the rural areas of four towns within Shandong Province in eastern China. The study adheres to COREQ guidelines. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 patients, 21 family members and 8 primary mental health service providers. RESULTS: Thematic analysis generated five major themes: (1) lack of self-insight, (2) inadequate family support, (3) long treatment duration and side effects of drugs, (4) poor economic conditions, and (5) the perceived stigma of illness. CONCLUSION: These findings may be useful for policymakers and planners to improve medication adherence and decrease the recurrence rate of mental disorders in China.

Exploring subjective constructions of health in China: a Q-methodological investigation.

BACKGROUND: With an increasing awareness of people's satisfaction and feeling, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become an essential aspect of measuring health. HRQoL is fundamentally a foreign concept introduced to China from the West. While a growing number of studies applied western HRQoL measures, few content validity tests examined the legitimacy of applying Western developed HRQoL measures in a Chinese cultural setting. If there are distinct differences in health conceptualisation between China and the West, it can be argued that those western measures may fail to ask the most appropriate and important questions among a Chinese population in assessing health. As a limited number of studies have investigated Chinese people's understandings of health, this study aimed to explore how health is defined and described in China. METHODS: A Q-methodological study was conducted to explore subjective constructions of health among Chinese participants. A scoping review of Chinese generic HRQoL measures, supplemented by a series of qualitative interviews conducted in China, produced a list of 42 statements representing aspects of health considered as being important in a Chinese cultural setting. Chinese participants in face-to-face interviews ranked and sorted these statements. Data were analysed to identify clusters of participants who shared a similar perspective, using a by-person factor analysis procedure. RESULTS: 110 Chinese participants with various demographics characteristics completed sorting interviews. Five independent factors emerged: (I) "Physical independence and social interaction skills"; (II) "Physical health"; (III) "Sensations and feelings"; (IV) "Lifestyles"; (V) "Learning and working abilities". CONCLUSIONS: The Q-study showed that many health statements were rated highly as most important by a diverse range of Chinese participants but were not covered in the commonly used Western HRQoL measure EQ-5D. It then suggests that the EQ-5D descriptive system might need modification to improve its capacity to measure health status in China. The study thus raises a general question as to how appropriate the Western-developed HRQoL measures are when used to assess health in a significantly different cultural setting.

Invasive-plant traits, native-plant traits, and their divergences as invasion factors.

Invasive plants exert significant ecological impacts on native plants, communities, and ecosystems. However, consistent conclusions regarding how traits of invasive plants, native plants, and their divergences affect invasion dynamics are still lacking. Here, we conducted a pairwise common garden experiment to investigate how invasion was influenced not only by invasive plants but also by native plants, aiming to elucidate the role of invasive-plant traits, native-plant traits, and their divergences in invasion processes. Our findings revealed variations in invasive stage depending on the combinations of invasive and native plants. Specifically, native plants such as A. argyi, A. lavandulifolia, and C. album exhibited competitive superiority when co-occurring with the three invasive plants. S. viridis, A. vestita, and A. annua had competitive superiority when they co-occurred with E. canadensis, G. quadriradiata, and E. annuus respectively. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that the competitive abilities of invasive plants were primarily influenced by factors such as height, diameter, and biomass allocation, while native plants' competitive abilities were mainly affected by diameter, biomass allocation, and function group differences. Moreover, our analysis revealed that invasive-plant traits, native-plant traits, their divergences, and their interactions together explained 36.88% of the variation in invasion dynamics, with invasive-plant traits and the native-plant traits explaining 10.19% and 6.88%, respectively. In conclusion, the traits of invasive and native plants, along with their divergences, significantly influence interspecific relationships, and influencing the invasive stages. Divergences in competitive strategies between the native plants and invasive plants facilitated invasion processes. Our study not only contributes to understanding the mechanisms underlying invasion, but also provides a scientific foundation for predicting and managing the negative effects of invasive plants.

Developing and testing culturally relevant bolt-on items for EQ-5D-5L in Chinese populations: a mixed-methods study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: EQ-5D is one of the most frequently used health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures but has been found to be insensitive in detecting differences in health status in some general populations and disease groups. For example, the appropriateness of applying EQ-5D in the Chinese cultural setting has been widely discussed. Adding additional HRQoL dimensions (bolt-on items) can be a solution to both retain the original descriptive system of EQ-5D, while enhancing its sensitivity to the local context. To date, no studies have proposed culturally relevant bolt-ons for China or examined the psychometric properties of such bolt-on items. This protocol documents the identification, development, selection and psychometric testing of culturally relevant bolt-on items for EQ-5D-5L in China. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will identify and develop candidate bolt-on items that are most relevant in the Chinese culture, through former literature reviews on health concepts important for the Chinese population, conducting expert consultations and qualitative interviews. We will quantitatively test the acceptability and measurement properties (including distributional characteristics and construct validity) of the candidate items in both general and disease populations in a cross-sectional setting. The patient group will be followed up to collect two-time-point data to assess test-retest reliability of the candidate items. Bolt-on item selection will consider both the qualitative and quantitative evidence gathered. This protocol outlines a comprehensive mixed-methods process for identifying, developing, selecting and testing bolt-on items that are relevant and culturally appropriate in China. This study may serve as a guide for similar initiatives in other cultural contexts. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study received ethics approval from the Institutional Review Board of School of Public Health, Fudan University (IRB number: 2022-TYSQ-03-154). Study findings will be disseminated through international peer-reviewed journal articles as well as public, academic presentations at national and international conferences.

Psychometric performance of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 in patients with lymphoma in China.

AIM: To assess and compare the measurement properties of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 among lymphoma patients in China. METHODS: A face-to-face survey of Chinese lymphoma patients was conducted at baseline (all types) and follow-up (diffuse large B-cell). EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 health utility scores (HUSs) were calculated using the respective Chinese value sets. Ceiling effect was assessed by calculating the percentage of respondents reporting the optimal health state. Convergent validity of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 was assessed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) with QLQ-C30 as a calibration standard. Known-groups validity of the two HUSs was evaluated by comparing their scores of patients with different conditions; and their sensitivity was further assessed in the known-groups using relative efficiency (RE). Test-retest reliability and responsiveness was tested using ICC and standardized response mean (SRM), respectively. RESULTS: Altogether 200 patients were enrolled at baseline and 78 were followed up. No ceiling effect was found for SF-6Dv2 compared to 24.5% for EQ-5D-5L. Correlation between the two HUSs and with QLQ-C30 score was strong (r > 0.5). Each dimension of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 had moderate or greater correlations with similar dimensions of QLQ-C30 (r > 0.35). Both EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 could only a minority known-groups, and the latter may have better sensitivity. EQ-5D-5L had better test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.939); while both of them were responsive to patients with worsened and improved clinical status. CONCLUSIONS: EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 were found to have good convergent validity and responsiveness, while EQ-5D-5L had better test-retest reliability and higher ceiling effect. Not enough evidence indicates which of the two measures has better known-group validity and sensitivity.

Research on the application of a cement and soil aggregate for the ecological restoration of vegetation in artificial soil.

The construction of high-speed roads has resulted in large amounts of steep and exposed cut slopes, posing more potential hazards in areas with mountains and hills. Vegetation restoration is an effective and environmentally-friendly way to restore exposed slopes using outside soil spray seeding, though it is difficult to establish a vegetation cover. Spraying artificial soil on high and steep slopes is a challenging task as it is difficult to keep the fluid mixture on sloped surfaces. Because of these challenges, this study applied different combinations of cement and soil aggregates in artificial soil, measuring final soil properties after one growing season. Experimental results showed that there were substantial differences in all basic soil parameters and in the soil quality index after different treatments. In particular, adding 5-10% cement content could improve the adhesion of artificial soil without remarkably reducing soil quality; adding 0.09% of soil aggregate was also beneficial to soil nutrient availability. These findings indicate that the combination of cement and soil aggregates could be applied in artificial soils for the ecological restoration of steep slope vegetation. Adding cement to the soil increased the alkaline levels of the soil, so it is important to reduce artificial soil pH in the future. The application of a cement and soil aggregate should be considered in the field for the ecological restoration of slope vegetation, and the impact of this addition on slope stability and vegetation growth should be explored with further research.

A head-to-head comparison of well-being of older people (WOOP) and EQ-5D-5L in patients, carers and general public in China.

Recently, well-being of older people measure (WOOP) was developed and validated in a Dutch population. Although WOOP was developed targeting the older people, it has the potential for use in a wider population. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between WOOP and EQ-5D-5L and compared their psychometric properties in a sample of patients, carers and healthy general public covering a wider age group. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Guizhou Province, China between July and August 2022. Data was collected using paper and pencil. We analysed and reported the acceptability, item response distribution, the Spearman correlation coefficients of all items, the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of all items, the known-group validity and the convergent validity of EQ-5D-5L utility and WOOP utility. A total of 322 participants completed the survey with 105 patients, 101 carers and 116 healthy general public. 9% of participants had at least one missing response. Three items of WOOP did not have any level 5 responses and EQ-5D-5L had more level 1 responses. The correlations were low between EQ-5D-5L and WOOP items and the three-factor EFA showed these two instruments had only one shared factor and the other two factors were only related to WOOP items. Younger people had lower missing response rate and a different response distribution for three items. WOOP measures a broader construct beyond health while EQ-5D-5L is a more sensitive instrument when health is considered alone. There is a potential of using WOOP in a wider population.

Comparing measurement properties of EQ-5D and SF-6D in East and South-East Asian populations: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Euro-Qol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) and Short-Form 6-Dimension (SF-6D) are the most commonly used generic multi-attribute utility instruments (MAUI) to calculate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) in East and South-East Asia. This study aims to systematically review and summarize current evidence on comparing measurement properties of EQ-5D and SF-6D in East and South-East Asian populations. AREAS COVERED: Guided by the PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted in databases of PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL (until June 2022) to obtain studies which compared measurement properties (feasibility, reliability, validity, responsiveness, and sensitivity) and agreement of EQ-5D and SF-6D in the populations. EXPERT OPINION: In general, both EQ-5D and SF-6D had good measurement properties in East and South-East Asian populations; but their utility scores cannot be used interchangeably. Compared to the 3-level EQ-5D, SF-6D had better sensitivity and lower ceiling effects, but the comparison results between the 5-level EQ-5D and SF-6D were inconsistent across populations. This scoping review found that most studies did not consider order effects, did not specify the versions of SF-6D, and ignored certain measurement properties (reliability, content validity, and responsiveness). These aspects need to be further explored in future studies.