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Quality of life in Sardinian patients with transfusion-dependent Thalassemia: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study has been to evaluate the physical, psychological, and social well-being in a large group of Sardinian adult patients with transfusion-dependent beta-Thalassemia when compared with a group of healthy subjects of the same age and geographical extraction.

Methods

Male or female patients ≥ 18 years of age with Thalassemia major on regular transfusion at Thalassemia Center in Cagliari (Italy) were requested to complete the World Health Organization Quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. The WHOQOL-BREF was also made available online to age- and sex-matched non-thalassemic adult subjects living in Sardinia.

Results

Two hundred and seven subjects with Thalassemia were invited to participate in the study. The questionnaire was also completed by 211 age- and sex-matched non-thalassemic subjects living in Sardinia. Scores suggestive of a good quality of life were obtained in all the areas investigated. Thalassemia patients had scores at least as good as those of non-thalassemic subjects in all items and the percentage of those with a score ≥ 60 was higher among patients. The analysis of demographic actually highlights that the disease has a little effect on their personal and social lives. There was a positive association between subjective well-being and effective clinical conditions. Moreover, the association between health perception and adherence to treatment suggests that compliance with treatment contributes to the well-being of the patient, both physically and psychologically.

Conclusions

Adult subjects with Thalassemia who live in Western countries have a good quality of life in accordance with the advances in the management of the disease.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Francesca Floris, Federica Comitini & Paolo Moi

  2. Ospedale Pediatrico Microcitemico “A.Cao” - A.O. “G.Brotzu”, Via Jenner s.n., 09121, Cagliari, Italy

    GiovanBattista Leoni, Maddalena Morittu, Valeria Orecchia, Maria Perra, Maria Paola Pilia, Antonietta Zappu, Maria Rosaria Casini & Raffaella Origa

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  1. Francesca Floris
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  2. Federica Comitini
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Correspondence to Raffaella Origa.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Floris, F., Comitini, F., Leoni, G. et al. Quality of life in Sardinian patients with transfusion-dependent Thalassemia: a cross-sectional study. Qual Life Res 27, 2533–2539 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1911-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1911-7

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