BACKGROUND:
Sickle cell disease is a genetic, hereditary and
chronic disease that
affects the
health of its carriers and might impair their
health-related quality of life.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of the current study was to assess the
health-related quality of life of individuals with
sickle cell disease followed at
referral centers in Alagoas,
Brazil.
METHODS:
A total of 40 individuals with
sickle cell disease aged 12 to 43 years old were evaluated by means of sociodemographic and clinical
questionnaires, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form
Health Survey and the Beck
Depression Inventory. The latter was applied only to
adults.
RESULTS:
Most participants were
adults (62.5%) with a predominance of the SS
genotype (85%) with
pain being the commonest complication (95%).
Mood disorder was found in 40% of the
adults. The
patients exhibited overall impairment of
quality of life, which was more pronounced among the
adults and under 15-year-old
adolescents. Married
adults exhibited less impairment of most
quality of life domains compared to
unmarried adults, and the
adults with
mood disorder exhibited greater impairment of all
quality of life domains.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that interventions that aim to improve vitality,
pain, and
mental health might contribute to maintaining high levels of
quality of life in
patients with
sickle cell disease, especially among
adults and under 15-year-old
adolescents.