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8 Gender differences in quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Selma Hajric,
Jasminka Djelilovic-Vranic,
Nihada Subasic and
Azra Alajbegovic
Selma Hajric
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Bolnicka 25, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, E-mail: selmahajric@gmail.com
Jasminka Djelilovic-Vranic
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Bolnicka 25, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, E-mail: selmahajric@gmail.com
Nihada Subasic
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Bolnicka 25, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, E-mail: selmahajric@gmail.com
Azra Alajbegovic
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Bolnicka 25, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, E-mail: selmahajric@gmail.com
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Abstract

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Introduction/Objectives:

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic progressive disease that can cause a variety of symptoms and can have many adverse effects on the patient's lives. The objective of this study was to investigate gender differences in quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients.

Participants, Materials/Methods:

100 MS patients treated at the Neurology Clinic in Sarajevo were involved in this study. Quality of life was measured by using specific MSQOL-54 questionnaire, after the evaluation of internal consistency of adapted Bosnian version. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for the comparisons, while the linear regression analyses were performed to identify significant predictors from sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in predicting MSQOL-54 physical and mental composite scores.

Results:

Sixty-nine percentage of patients in the study was female and 31% were male. The mean age of female patients was 40.73 and male patients 37.35. The mean EDSS score of female patients was 3.63 and male patients was 3.58. Female patients had lower physical health composite scores 45.64(36.17–66.45) than male patients 48.57(28.09–70.20), but without statistically significant difference. Mental health composite score was also lower in female patients 55.14(41.85–73.46) than male patients 56.32(39.66–73.97), without statistically significant difference. Significant gender difference was found only on the pain scale of quality of life questionnaire. ON pain scale female patients had significant lower scores (55.00(39.17–76.67) than male patients 76.67(46.67–100.00), P < 0.05. Gender differences didn't have significant role in predicting quality of life in our study (linear multivariate regression analyses).

Conclusions:

We didn't find gender difference to be the predictive factor of quality of life in MS patients. Although, female patients had predominantly lower QOL scores than male patients. Statistically significant difference was in pain scale which emphasise importance of treating pain in MS female patients.