Assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis living in the Fars province of Iran

Aim:The aim of this study is to determine the health-related quality of life(HRQoL)among patients with multiple sclerosis(MS)living in the Fars province of Iran.Methods:A total of 100 patients with clinically definite MS who were referred to a clinic affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were eligible to participate in this study.The HRQoL was evaluated using a Persian version of the Medical Outcomes software.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics,MANOVA,ANOVA and an independent t-test.Results:Patient variables in this sample included the following:80%of the participants were female,68%of the participants were married,30%of the participants had completed primary school,38%of the participants had completed high school and 32%of the participants attained a university degree.No significant difference among HRQoL scores attributable to these variables were observed among participants in this study.The overall mean scores for the physical and mental components of the HRQoL were 59.48±24.63 and 49.26±23.15,respectively.The paired t-test showed that when compared with a normal sample,the patients in this study had mental component scores of the HRQoL that were significantly lower than physical component scores(t=5.72,df=99,P<0.001).Conclusion:The HRQoL scores among patients with MS are significantly lower than those among members of the healthy population,especially with respect to the mental component of the test.Therefore,close consideration of mental and physical problems and appropriate management of MS can improve quality of life in these patients.