Impact of genital warts on health related quality of life in men and women in mainland China: a multicenter hospital-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Information on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with genital warts (GW) in populations in mainland China is still limited. The aim of the study was to use a generic instrument to measure the impact of genital warts on HRQoL in men and women in this setting. METHODS: A multi-centre hospital-based cross-sectional study across 18 centers in China was conducted to interview patients using the European quality of life-5 dimension (EQ-5D) instrument; respondents' demographic and clinical data were also collected. RESULTS: A total of 1,358 GW patients (612 men, 746 women) were included in the analysis, with a mean age of 32.0 ± 10.6 years. 56.4% of the patients reported some problems in the dimension of Anxiety/Depression (highest), followed by Pain/Discomfort (24.7%) and Mobility (3.5%). The overall visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the study population was found to be 65.2 ± 22.0, and the EQ-5D index score was found to be 0.843 ± 0.129 using Japanese preference weights (the Chinese preference was unavailable yet). Patients with lower VAS means and EQ-5D index scores were more often female, living in urban area, and suffering multiple GW (all p values < 0.05), but the values did not differ notably by age (p values > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The HRQoL of patients with GW was substantially lower, compared to a national representative general population in China (VAS = ~80); the findings of different subgroups are informative for future GW prevention and control efforts.

Impact of human papillomavirus-related lesions on quality of life: a multicenter hospital-based study of women in Mainland China.

INTRODUCTION: To date, few studies using a human papillomavirus (HPV)-specific questionnaire have focused on the impact of quality of life (QoL) among women with HPV-related lesions in developing countries. METHODS: A multicenter, hospital-based survey was conducted from 2007 to 2008. Women 18 to 65 years old who had HPV-related lesions or underwent HPV-related screening interventions during the past 3 months were recruited and divided into 6 groups based on different diagnoses: (1) normal Papanicolaou (Pap) test result, (2) abnormal Pap test result without HPV test, (3) external genital warts (GWs), (4) precancerous cervical lesions (confirmed by histological diagnoses), (5) HPV positive (HPV+) after abnormal Pap test result, and (6) HPV negative (HPV-) after abnormal Pap test result. Psychosocial burdens were assessed by the HPV impact profile (HIP). The HIP contains 7 domains and 29 questions, and its scores reversely relates to the subjects' QoL. RESULTS: A total of 2605 eligible women were enrolled. Women with GWs had the highest mean HIP scores (52.2), followed by the group with precancerous cervical lesions (48.6), HPV+ after abnormal Pap (45.8), abnormal Pap test result without HPV test (44.1), HPV- after abnormal Pap (43.1), and women with normal Pap endured the least (33.1). "Sexual impact," "self-image," and "control/life impact" were the 3 QoL-related domains that affected women the most. The psychosocial burden of urban residents was heavier than that of rural women. CONCLUSIONS: Women with GWs and precancerous cervical lesions had the worst psychological burden, and sexual-related concern was the primary cause of burdens regarding HPV-related diseases for Chinese women. In addition to basic medical treatments, psychosocial support systems should be established, and consultation services should be generalized to help alleviate these burdens.