RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this observational study was to evaluate the impact of endometriosis on quality of life (QoL) in different age groups of Swedish women with endometriosis. Recruitment occurred through the Endometriosis Association (Sweden) (n = 400) and five gynecology departments of five Swedish hospitals (n = 400). All voluntary female members of the patient organization and patients attending specialist clinics due to endometriosis (n = 800) were invited by sending them a questionnaire. An age- and gender-matched sample of the general Swedish population was used as a control group when analyzing SF-36 data. METHODS: A postal questionnaire (including SF-36) was distributed to 800 women. The questionnaire was evaluated by using descriptive statistics, and SF-36 was evaluated according to standard methods. RESULTS: Of the 449 (56%) self-administered questionnaires returned, 431 (96%) contained evaluable answers. Women with endometriosis have significantly lower SF-36 scores than the general female Swedish population, and the score depends on the women's age. Younger women experience more symptoms and have a lower QoL score compared with women in the older age group. CONCLUSION: Women with endometriosis have significantly lower QoL than the general female Swedish population and it depends on the women's age, where younger women express more symptoms and have a lower QoL compared with women in the older age group. Our results highlight that more healthcare resources should be focused on younger women with endometriosis.
