Quality of Life in Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia Patients Admitted to CMH, Peshawar: Case-Control Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i6.2984Keywords:
Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia, Quality of Life, Pediatric Health, PedsQL™, Case-control Study, Pakistan.Abstract
Objective: To assess the quality of life (QoL) in transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients admitted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Peshawar, and compare it with healthy controls. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted at CMH, Peshawar, using a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. A total of 100 participants were included: 50 diagnosed TDT patients and 50 healthy controls. Inclusion criteria for the TDT group consisted of patients aged 5 years or older, receiving regular blood transfusions, and providing informed consent. Healthy controls were age- and gender-matched individuals with no chronic illnesses. Exclusion criteria included non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia, severe cognitive impairments, and refusal to provide consent. The PedsQL™4.0 Generic Core Scales questionnaire, a validated tool for assessing QoL, was used to collect data. T-tests and chi-square tests were performed to compare QoL scores between groups. Results: The study included 50 thalassemia patients (30 males and 20 females) and 50 healthy controls (24 males and 26 females). The mean age of thalassemia patients was 11.20 ± 4.04 years, while the control group had a mean age of 10.96 ± 4.30 years, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.77). The mean QoL score was significantly lower in thalassemic patients (82.59 ± 5.13) compared to controls (88.22 ± 2.65) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Thalassemia significantly reduces QoL in affected individuals compared to healthy peers, irrespective of gender and age. This highlights the need for holistic healthcare approaches, including psychological support, to improve the well-being of TDT patients.
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