Maram Alshehri1* and Mohanad Algosadi
Background: Chronic diseases such as hepatitis C viral infection affect the quality of life, especially for patients on hemodialysis. Usually, this effect is associated with many factors. Assessment of health-related quality of life is of great importance for clinicians and policy makers. Objectives: To assess the health-related quality of life among hepatitis C infected patients in hemodialysis units and to determine factors associated with improved quality of life. Methods: The study was conducted among Hepatitis C infected patients on hemodialysis who were registered in the ministry of health for receiving the Direct-Acting Antiviral (DAA) treatment from different regions of Saudi Arabia from (January 2018 to September 2019). Health-related quality of life was assessed by SF-12 health questionnaire. Depression as an independent variable was assessed by a Patient Health Questionnaire (PH-Q 9). Additional data includes sociodemographic variables, as well as clinical and laboratory variables, were collected from the ministry of health records. Results: 386 hepatitis C patients were included in this study with a Mean age of participants (51.3 ± 15.13), males were (236) 61%, most patients were genotype 4 (152) 39.4%, the most patient had severe liver cirrhosis (132) 34.2%. The mean score of the Physical Component Summary (PCS) was (38.44 ± 10.30) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) (40.83 ± 11.87). Male gender, younger patients (50 years or younger), higher level of education, employed patients, Body Mass Index less than 25, patients with non or mild depression, patients with no comorbidities had significantly higher value of both PCS and MCS. The multiple linear regression model shows that age, BMI, educational level, employment status, and depression significantly affect the value of PCS. The multiple regression model of MCS shows that age, employment status, depression, and degree of liver cirrhosis are significant predictors of MCS. Conclusion: Hepatitis C infected patients on Hemodialysis (HD) had poor quality of life. the current study shows that age, BMI, educational level, employment status, and depression significantly affect the value of PCS. Age, employment status, depression, and degree of liver cirrhosis are significant predictors of MCS among hepatitis C on HD in Saudi Arabia 2018-2019. Keywords: Hepatitis C; Viral hepatitis; Quality of life; CKD; Chronic kidney disease; Saudi Arabia
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