Impact of COVID-19 on Quality of Life in People with Multiple Sclerosis
Author Information
Author(s): Glen J. Henson, Ingrid van der Mei, Bruce V. Taylor, Suzi B. Claflin, Andrew J. Palmer, Gang Chen, Julie A. Campbell
Primary Institution: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania
Hypothesis
Does the COVID-19 pandemic impact the health-related quality of life of people living with multiple sclerosis compared to the general population?
Conclusion
People with multiple sclerosis experienced more COVID-19-related adversity than the general population, but the overall impact on health-related quality of life was similar.
Supporting Evidence
- PwMS were 1.496 times more likely to report COVID-19-related adversity compared to the general population.
- COVID-19-related adversity was associated with a 0.129-point reduction in health state utility for all participants.
- Mean health state utility for PwMS reporting adversity was 0.512, compared to 0.671 for those not reporting adversity.
Takeaway
This study shows that people with multiple sclerosis had a harder time during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their overall health was affected just like everyone else's.
Methodology
Cross-sectional data were collected from two studies, measuring health-related quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L-Psychosocial and assessing COVID-19-related adversity through surveys.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to the voluntary nature of participation in the studies.
Limitations
Different measures were used to assess COVID-19-related adversity in the two samples, which may affect comparability.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 52.4 years for the general population and 58.4 years for PwMS, with a higher proportion of females in the PwMS group (80.2%).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
[1.153, 1.774]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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