Quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: importance of clinical, demographic and psychosocial factors.

CONTEXT: Inflammatory bowel disease causes physical and psychosocial consequences that can affect the health related quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the relationship between clinical and sociodemographic factors and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

METHODS: Ninety two patients with Crohn's disease and 58 with ulcerative colitis, filled in the inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ-32) and a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and clinical data. The association between categorical variables and IBDQ-32 scores was determined using Student t test. Factors statistically significant in the univariate analysis were included in a multivariate regression model.

RESULTS: IBDQ-32 scores were significantly lower in female patients (P<0.001), patients with an individual perception of a lower co-workers support (P<0.001) and career fulfillment (P<0.001), patients requiring psychological support (P = 0.010) and pharmacological treatment for anxiety or depression (P = 0.002). A multivariate regression analysis identified as predictors of impaired HRQOL the female gender (P<0.001) and the perception of a lower co-workers support (P = 0.025) and career fulfillment (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in HRQQL was significantly related with female gender and personal perception of disease impact in success and social relations. These factors deserve a special attention, so timely measures can be implemented to improve the quality of life of patients.