Table 3 Associations between clinical characteristics and health-related quality of life among patients with transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia
Total quality of life score (Mean ± SD) | Physical functioning score (Mean ± SD) | Psychosocial health summary score (Mean ± SD) | Emotional functioning score (Mean ± SD) | Social functioning score (Mean ± SD) | School functioning score (Mean ± SD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average pretransfusion haemoglobin | ||||||
> 9.0 g/dl (n = 107) | 73.9 (±12.4) | 74.6 (±15.6) | 73.6 (±12.4) | 71.8 (±15.3) | 82.6 (±15.9) | 66.3 (±17.6) |
< 9.0 g/dl (n = 164) | 72.2 (±12.5) | 74.5 (±15.4) | 71.0 (±12.7) | 69.7 (±17.0) | 79.6 (±14.6) | 64.3 (±17.1) |
p-value | 0.26 | 0.97 | 0.10 | 0.31 | 0.10 | 0.36 |
Annual transfusion requirement | ||||||
< 250 ml/kg/year (n = 150) | 71.8 (±13.0) | 73.9 (±16.3) | 70.8 (±12.7) | 68.9 (±16.4) | 80.5 (±15.6) | 63.4 (±17.7) |
> 250 ml/kg/year (n = 106) | 73.8 (±12.1) | 74.8 (±15.1) | 73.3 (±12.6) | 72.3 (±16.6) | 81.1 (±15.2) | 66.4 (±16.3) |
p-value | 0.20 | 0.64 | 0.13 | 0.10 | 0.75 | 0.16 |
Liver status | ||||||
No hepatomegaly (n = 188) | 73.5 (±11.9) | 74.8 (±15.0) | 72.8 (±12.2) | 71.0 (±16.1) | 81.4 (±14.4) | 66.3 (±17.4) |
Hepatomegaly (n = 83) | 71.5 (±13.6) | 74.0 (±16.6) | 70.4 (±13.4) | 69.4 (±17.0) | 79.3 (±16.7) | 62.3 (±16.9) |
p-value | 0.22 | 0.70 | 0.15 | 0.47 | 0.28 | 0.08 |
Spleen status | ||||||
No splenomegaly (n = 179) | 73.7 (±12.1) | 74.8 (±15.5) | 73.0 (±13.3) | 71.8 (±16.1) | 81.6 (±14.1) | 66.2 (±17.6) |
Splenomegaly (n = 85) | 72.0 (±13.1) | 74.8 (±14.9) | 70.8 (±13.3) | 69.1 (±16.4) | 80.0 (±16.6) | 63.2 (±16.7) |
p-value | 0.30 | 0.98 | 0.17 | 0.21 | 0.41 | 0.18 |
Splenectomy status | ||||||
No splenomegaly (n = 179) | 73.7 (±12.1) | 74.8 (±15.5) | 73.0 (±13.3) | 71.8 (±16.1) | 81.6 (±14.1) | 66.2 (±17.6) |
Splenectomised (n = 7) | 62.4 (±8.1) | 64.4 (±20.5) | 61.7 (±6.7) | 55.7 (±14.5) | 70.1 (±20.7) | 59.2 (±15.3) |
p-value | < 0.05 | 0.08 | < 0.05 | < 0.05 | < 0.05 | 0.30 |
B | (−)12.0 | (−)12.0 | (−)18.0 | (−)10.5 | ||
p-value (adjusted) | < 0.05 | < 0.05 | < 0.01 | < 0.05 | ||
Serum ferritin | ||||||
< 1000 ng/mL (n = 83) | 72.0 (±12.8) | 73.6 (±15.3) | 71.1 (±12.8) | 69.9 (±16.6) | 79.4 (±14.8) | 64.3 (±18.1) |
> 1000 ng/mL (n = 180) | 73.1 (±12.2) | 74.8 (±15.7) | 72.3 (±12.4) | 70.7 (±16.4) | 81.4 (±15.1) | 65.0 (±16.9) |
p-value | 0.49 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 0.72 | 0.30 | 0.78 |
Skin pigmentation | ||||||
No (n = 214) | 73.0 (±12.5) | 74.5 (±15.5) | 72.4 (±12.5) | 71.2 (±16.2) | 80.7 (±15.0) | 65.5 (±16.5) |
Yes (n = 57) | 72.4 (±12.4) | 74.7 (±15.5) | 70.6 (±12.8) | 68.2 (±17.0) | 81.1 (±15.8) | 63.7 (±20.2) |
p-value | 0.75 | 0.91 | 0.32 | 0.22 | 0.85 | 0.49 |
Diabetes | ||||||
No (n = 266) | 73.0 (±12.4) | 74.7 (±15.5) | 72.2 (±12.6) | 70.6 (±16.4) | 80.9 (±15.1) | 65.2 (±17.3) |
Yes (n = 5) | 66.5 (±14.7) | 68.1 (±16.5) | 66.3 (±15.1) | 68.0 (±17.5) | 73.0 (±19.2) | 58.0 (±19.5) |
p-value | 0.24 | 0.34 | 0.30 | 0.72 | 0.24 | 0.35 |
Hypothyroidism | ||||||
No (n = 260) | 73.0 (±12.5) | 74.9 (±15.4) | 72.1 (±12.7) | 70.7 (±16.4) | 80.7 (±15.3) | 65.2 (±17.0) |
Yes (n = 11) | 69.3 (±12.2) | 67.2 (±16.7) | 70.5 (10.0) | 67.2 (±16.7) | 82.2 (±11.4) | 61.4 (±23.9) |
p-value | 0.33 | 0.11 | 0.68 | 0.49 | 0.74 | 0.47 |
Short stature | ||||||
No (n = 127) | 74.8 (±13.1) | 75.9 (±16.8) | 74.4 (±13.0 | 71.2 (±17.0) | 83.9 (±14.5) | 68.0 (±17.5) |
Yes (n = 117) | 71.0 (±12.1) | 72.9 (±14.6) | 69.9 (±12.1) | 70.1 (±16.0) | 77.9 (±15.6) | 61.8 (±16.7) |
p-value | < 0.05 | 0.14 | < 0.01 | 0.58 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 |
B | (−)4.7 | (−)5.3 | (−)6.4 | (−)6.3 | ||
p-value (adjusted) | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | ||
Undernutrition | ||||||
No (n = 157) | 74.3 (±12.7) | 75.9 (±16.3) | 73.7 (±12.4) | 71.4 (±15.9) | 82.1 (±14.7) | 67.4 (±17.3) |
Yes (n = 85) | 70.7 (±12.4) | 72.1 (±14.6) | 69.9 (±13.1) | 69.7 (±17.4) | 79.3 (±16.2) | 60.6 (±16.9) |
p-value | < 0.05 | 0.07 | < 0.05 | 0.42 | 0.17 | < 0.01 |
B | (−)3.7 | (−)3.7 | (−)6.5 | |||
p-value (adjusted) | < 0.05 | < 0.05 | < 0.01 | |||
Hepatitis C infection | ||||||
No (n = 211) | 71.7 (±12.0) | 73.6 (±15.0) | 70.7 (±12.3) | 69.3 (±16.0) | 79.1 (±15.2) | 63.8 (±17.4) |
Yes (n = 60) | 77.2 (±13.1) | 77.9 (±16.8) | 76.9 (±12.4) | 74.7 (±17.2) | 86.5 (±13.8) | 69.6 (±16.3) |
p-value | < 0.01 | 0.05 | < 0.01 | < 0.05 | < 0.01 | < 0.05 |
B | 5.5 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 7.5 | 6.3 | |
p-value (adjusted) | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | < 0.05 | < 0.01 | < 0.05 | |
Abdominal scars | ||||||
No (n = 205) | 72.8 (±13.0) | 74.5 (±15.8) | 71.8 (±13.1) | 70.1 (±16.9) | 80.3 (±15.8) | 65.4 (±17.3) |
Yes (n = 66) | 73.2 (±10.7) | 74.8 (±14.7) | 72.7 (±11.0) | 71.8 (±14.6) | 82.1 (±13.0) | 64.1 (±17.5) |
p-value | 0.78 | 0.86 | 0.64 | 0.47 | 0.41 | 0.59 |
Thalassaemia facies | ||||||
No (n = 179) | 71.0 (±12.5) | 72.5 (±16.2) | 70.3 (±12.4) | 68.5 (±16.4) | 79.7 (±15.8) | 63.1 (±16.5) |
Yes (n = 92) | 76.5 (±11.6) | 78.5(±13.2) | 75.4 (±12.3) | 74.4 (±15.6) | 82.8 (±13.6) | 68.9 (±18.2) |
p-value | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | 0.10 | < 0.01 |
B | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 6.6 | |
p-value (adjusted) | < 0.001 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | |
Hearing problems | ||||||
Yes (n = 4) | 73.9 (±12.7) | 75.0 (±8.8) | 73.3 (±15.3) | 80.0 (±10.8) | 83.7 (±17.0) | 56.2 (±18.8) |
No (n = 267) | 72.9 (±12.5) | 74.5 (±15.6) | 72.0 (±12.6) | 70.4 (±16.4) | 80.7 (±15.2) | 65.2 (±17.3) |
p-value | 0.87 | 0.95 | 0.84 | 0.24 | 0.69 | 0.30 |
Visual problems | ||||||
No (n = 252) | 73.0 (±12.5) | 74.4 (±15.7) | 72.2 (±12.6) | 70.7 (±16.5) | 80.7 (±15.5) | 65.5 (±16.5) |
Yes (n = 19) | 72.0 (±12.0) | 76.0 (±11.8) | 70.0 (±12.8) | 68.4 (±15.0) | 81.3 (±9.9) | 60.0 (±25.4) |
p-value | 0.75 | 0.68 | 0.47 | 0.55 | 0.88 | 0.18 |
Elevated transaminases | ||||||
No (n = 213) | 73.2 (±12.6) | 74.4 (±15.8) | 72.6 (±12.7) | 70.2 (±16.4) | 81.5 (±15.1) | 66.3 (±17.1) |
Yes (n = 58) | 71.9 (±11.8) | 75.1 (±14.2) | 70.2 (±12.2) | 71.7 (±16.2) | 78.1 (±15.2) | 60.7 (±17.7) |
p-value | 0.48 | 0.75 | 0.20 | 0.54 | 0.12 | < 0.05 |
B | (−)5.2 | |||||
p-value (adjusted) | < 0.05 | |||||
Iron chelator medication | ||||||
Desferioxamine (n = 29) | 74.2 (±12.2) | 79.3 (±13.9) | 71.7 (±13.7) | 71.4 (±15.5) | 79.1 (±15.9) | 64.7 (±17.5) |
Deferasirox (n = 163) | 71.9 (±12.8) | 72.9 (±16.4) | 71.4 (±12.5) | 69.7 (±17.1) | 79.7 (±15.3) | 65.0 (±17.4) |
p-value | 0.37 | 0.05 | 0.88 | 0.61 | 0.84 | 0.92 |