Comparative performance of the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L and the CDC healthy days measures in assessing population health

Maryna Derkach; Fatima Al Sayah; Arto Ohinmaa; Lawrence W Svenson; Jeffrey A Johnson

doi:10.1186/s41687-022-00474-7

Comparative performance of the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L and the CDC healthy days measures in assessing population health

J Patient Rep Outcomes. 2022 Jun 13;6(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s41687-022-00474-7.

Authors

Maryna Derkach¹, Fatima Al Sayah¹, Arto Ohinmaa¹, Lawrence W Svenson², Jeffrey A Johnson³

Affiliations

¹ Alberta PROMs and EQ-5D Research and Support Unit (APERSU), School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 2-040 Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada.
² Alberta Health, Station Main, PO Box 1360, Edmonton, AB, T5J 2N3, Canada.
³ Alberta PROMs and EQ-5D Research and Support Unit (APERSU), School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 2-040 Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada. jeff.johnson@ualberta.ca.

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the comparative performance of EuroQol EQ-5D-5L and Center for Disease Control Healthy Days measures in assessing population health.

Methods: Using data from 2014 Alberta Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional population-based survey (N = 7559), conducted in Alberta, Canada, we examined construct validity of the measures as indicators of population health. Differences in EQ-5D-5L index score, visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS), and CDC unhealthy days index across socio-demographic subgroups were tested by Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests using known-groups approach.

Results: EQ-5D-5L and CDC Healthy Days provided comparable assessments of population health in this sample. Both measures discriminated between subgroups defined by self-perceived health status, level of education, and material deprivation. The discriminative ability of CDC Healthy Days was limited in capturing variability in health among age groups compared to the EQ-5D-5L. Among participants who reported 0 unhealthy days, the proportion of those with level 3 problems in pain/discomfort varied from 1.1% for participants aged 18-24 to 19.2% for those over 75 years.

Conclusions: EQ-5D-5L demonstrated better construct validity than CDC Healthy Days in assessing health in a population-based sample of adults.