The short-term impact of Schistosoma mansoni infection on health-related quality of life: implications for current elimination policies.
Proc Biol Sci
; 291(2024): 20240449, 2024 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38864320
ABSTRACT
The WHO aims to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030. However, standard morbidity measures poorly correlate to infection intensities, hindering disease monitoring and evaluation. This is exacerbated by insufficient evidence on Schistosoma's impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We conducted community-based cross-sectional surveys and parasitological examinations in moderate-to-high Schistosoma mansoni endemic communities in Uganda. We calculated parasitic infections and used EQ-5D instruments to estimate and compare HRQoL utilities in these populations. We further employed Tobit/linear regression models to predict HRQoL determinants. Two-thirds of the 560 participants were diagnosed with parasitic infection(s), 49% having S. mansoni. No significant negative association was observed between HRQoL and S. mansoni infection status/intensity. However, severity of pain urinating (ß = -0.106; s.e. = 0.043) and body swelling (ß = -0.326; s.e. = 0.005), increasing age (ß = -0.016; s.e. = 0.033), reduced socio-economic status (ß = 0.128; s.e. = 0.032), and being unemployed predicted lower HRQoL. Symptom severity and socio-economic status were better predictors of short-term HRQoL than current S. mansoni infection status/intensity. This is key to disentangling the link between infection(s) and short-term health outcomes, and highlights the complexity of correlating current infection(s) with long-term morbidity. Further evidence is needed on long-term schistosomiasis-associated HRQoL, health and economic outcomes to inform the case for upfront investments in schistosomiasis interventions.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Quality of Life
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Schistosoma mansoni
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Schistosomiasis mansoni
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Animals
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Child
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Female
/
Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Proc Biol Sci
/
Proc. - Royal Soc., Biol. sci. (Print)
/
Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological Sciences (Print)
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication:
Reino Unido