Health Related Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Diseases

Background: Chronic diseases impacted the different aspects of patients’ life. This study aimed to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with chronic diseases attending primary health care centres in Bahrain. Methods: This Cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2016 and January 2017 in five randomly selected primary health centres. Data was collected using a self-filled structured questionnaire (World Health Organization Quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire) to measure the HRQOL. Scores of HRQOL were calculated and relations between the scores and the sociodemographic data were explored using one-way ANOVA. Results: 337 questionnaires were received back with a response rate of 67.4%. 169 (50.1%) of the participants were females. The mean age (SD) was 52±11 years. Most of the participants were married (255 (78.2%)), retired (115 (34.1%)) and educated (309 (91.7%)). All the participants had at least three chronic diseases. The most prevalent chronic diseases were diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and hypertension. 161(48%) participants reported having good quality of life and were satisfied with their health. The mean HRQOL scores for physical, psychological, social and environmental domains were 63.8±18, 63.9±18, 67±22 and 64±16, respectively. Patients with diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia tend to have the highest mean scores in all the domains. Patients with sickle cell disease and psychiatric diseases had the lowest mean scores in all the domains. Conclusion: Chronic diseases affect the HRQOL of patients. Some diseases had more impacts on the HRQOL than others. Patients with chronic diseases in Bahrain had an overall good quality of life.