Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis Seen in the Department of Dermatology, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Abstract

Background. Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, and multifactorial dermatosis that impairs quality of life (QoL). Health-related QoL has become an important element in medical decision-making along with the effectiveness and the harmlessness of the treatments. Objective. To assess the impact of psoriasis in the QoL of patients with psoriasis by using the DLQI scales. Methods. A cross-sectional study from January to June 2018 was conducted in the Department of Dermatology of the University Hospital Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, Antananarivo, Madagascar, including patients more than 18 years old with mild to severe psoriasis. The severity of psoriasis was assessed using the “Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)”. QoL of patients with psoriasis was evaluated by using the DLQI scales. Results. 80 patients were included, their mean age was 36.5 years, and the male to female was 1.5 : 1. The mean DLQI score was 13.8. Symptoms, feelings, and psychic were the most altered dimensions. QoL was impaired in young patients, single, having medium level education. Even though patients with disease duration more than 5 years had higher DLQI score than other patients, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.36). Furthermore, the clinical presentation of psoriasis did not influence the patient’s QoL (p=0.73). Patients with nail involvement had QoL impaired but the difference with another localization was not statistically significant (p=0.2). The quality of life was influenced by body area involved. The higher the body surface area involved, the more QoL is impaired (p=0.002). Furthermore, the higher the PASI, the more QoL is altered (p=0.002). Conclusion. Psoriasis has a negative impact in the quality of life in Malagasy patients with psoriasis, especially in younger and single patients. Worse quality of life is correlated to severity of psoriasis.

Skin-Disease Specific and Generic Psychometric Measures in Patients with Psoriasis

“…According to some previously published reports, mean DLQI scores for patients with psoriasis can be even lower: 9.16 pts according to Lin et al [ 47 ], 8 pts according to Moradi et al [ 48 ], and 6.13 pts according to Rencz et al [ 49 ]. However, some authors reported higher DLQI scores than in the present study: 13.8 pts according to Sendrasoa et al [ 50 ], 13.32 pts according to An et al [ 51 ], and approximately 14 pts according to Kowalewska et al [ 52 ]. Finally, mean DLQI scores in some studies were only slightly lower than in our patients: 12 pts according to Martínez-García et al [ 53 ], 12.4 pts according to Jung et al [ 54 ], and 12.61 according to Kouris et al [ 55 ].…”

Effect of Disease Severity on the Quality of Life and Sense of Stigmatization in Psoriatics

“…In the study conducted by Sendrasoa et al among psoriatics from Madagascar, 46 mean DLQI was 13.8 pts; deterioration in the quality of life was more evident in young patients, single persons, and those with medium level education. Importantly, an increase in PASI scores was associated with a significant deterioration of the quality of life in the study patients (p = 0.002).…”

Clinical Characteristics, Quality of Life, and Risk Factors of Amputation Stump Skin Disease and Stump Fungal Infection in Adult Amputees in Shanghai, China

“…This DLQI score was higher than the results reported in a QoL assessment study with a mean DLQI score of 6.3 in patients with alopecia by Zhang and Zhang (2017) . Meanwhile, Sendrasoa et al (2020) reported a very poor QoL in patients with psoriasis (mean DLQI: 13.8). Another study ( Davidson et al, 2010 ) in which the SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess QoL reported worse outcomes in upper limb amputees than in lower limb amputees.…”