Health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Brazilian municipality: a population-based study

Abstract

The objective was to assess health-related quality of life and its associated factors during the Covid-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted through household surveys in November and December 2021 in Alegre, southeastern Brazil. A probabilistic sampling method representative of the urban population was used. Sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle data were collected. Health-related quality of life was measured using the EQ-5D-3L instrument. Associations were tested using Tobit regression. A total of 694 adults participated, 72.9% of whom were women. The mean utility score was 0.818 (SD = 0.195) and the visual analogue scale score was 77.8 (SD = 18.9), with a moderate positive correlation between the two (r = 0.456; p < 0.001). Problems were reported by 56.8% of participants, mainly in the pain/discomfort (40.2%) and anxiety/depression (32.0%) dimensions. A total of 62 different health states were identified, defined as combinations of response levels across the dimensions evaluated by the instrument. No significant association was found between COVID-19 infection and health-related quality of life scores. Health-related quality of life was negatively associated with poor self-rated health, disability, hospitalization, anxiety, arthritis/arthrosis, obesity, polypharmacy, and low medication adherence (p < 0.05). Health-related quality of life was significantly affected by chronic conditions, self-perceived health, and medication-related factors, highlighting the need for health policies focused on these aspects, especially in times of health crises.