Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B and C Referred to Rasht Razi Hospital in 2004

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B and C will result in limitations of physical and mental functions which in turn reduces the quality of life of the patients. This study examines the quality of life in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C in Rasht Razi hospital between the period of 2003-2004.

Materials and Methods: In this cross- sectional study, 74 patients with chronic hepatititis living in Rasht were selected. Using a convenient sampling, a specialized questionnaire on quality of life among patients with chronic liver diseases, consisted of 29 questions with 7 choices for each question completed by the patients. The questions were about the 6 domains of quality of life (containing: abdominal signs, tiredness, systemic signs, emotion, and activity  Then, collected data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and MANCOVA statistical test. The meaningful level of the test was assigned 0.05.

Results: The study sample contained 15 (20.27%) and 59 (79.72%) patients with chronic hepatitis B and C, respectively.  No significant difference was found between the two sex. Systemic symptom domain was 23.7±8.1 for males and 17.85±8.3 for female (P=0.007). The highest adjusted mean of quality of life score was belong to abdominal domain and the least one was for emotional domain. The total adjusted mean score and means of all other domains scores were higher for those who had school education compare to those with no/some school education. The total adjusted mean score of quality of life in people with other chronic conditions were lower than those without such condition. 

Conclusions: The quality of life score was not favorable in patient with chronic hepatitis. No significant difference was found between the treated and untreated patients with chronic hepatitis in any of the 6 domain.  This might be related to the social fear or stigma caused by their disease.