Life quality among psoriasis patients based on Dermatology Life Quality Index evaluation and its association with psoriasis severity in China: a cross-sectional study

Ann Med. 2023 Dec;55(1):2231847. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2231847.

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis critically influences the psychosocial well-being of patients and reduces their quality of life and work efficiency beyond skin symptoms. However, evidence on the association between life quality based on the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and psoriasis severity is limited, particularly in China. This study aimed to explore the association between life quality based on the DLQI evaluation and disease severity among psoriasis patients in China.

Methods: Four thousand two hundred and thirty psoriasis patients were recruited from the Chinese National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases from 2020 to 2021. Information was collected by applying a structured questionnaire and onsite physical examination. Data analysis was performed by using SAS software (version 9.4; SAS Inc., Cary, NC), and statistical significance was set at p < .05.

Results: Four thousand two hundred and thirty psoriasis patients were predominantly male (64.6%), with a median age of 38.6 years (interquartile range (IQR): 30.0-50.9). The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score for patients with psoriasis was 7.2 (IQR: 3.0-13.5), and 50% of patients with PASI scored over 7. A total of 84.1% of psoriasis patients reported that psoriasis affected their quality of life from mild to severe. The DLQI scores among psoriasis patients were positively correlated with PASI scores (r = 0.43, p < .01), both in patients of different sex and different age. Logistic regression analysis with the adjustment of potential confounders indicated that patients with higher PASI score also had higher DLQI score, the odds ratio (OR) were 1.69 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38-2.08) for patients with PASI score 3-7, 2.61 (95% CI: 2.10-3.25) for patients with PASI score 8-11 and 3.36 (95% CI: 2.78-4.07) for patients with PASI score ≥12, compared with patients with PASI score <3, respectively.

Conclusions: Life quality based on DLQI evaluation positively correlated with disease severity among patients with psoriasis, especially among male patients and those with higher body mass index. Therefore, we recommend that clinicians treat the DLQI as an important indicator during patient treatment.

Keywords: Dermatology Life Quality Index; Psoriasis Area and Severity Index; Psoriasis severity; association; quality of life.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • China / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Dermatology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Psoriasis* / diagnosis
  • Quality of Life
  • Severity of Illness Index

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2018YFC1705301), and the NSFC of China (Nos. 81973860, 81874470, 82074427 and 81904214), Clinical Trial Program of Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Health (202240371), Shanghai Shenkang Second Round Three Year Action Plan for Clinical Trial Program (SHDC2022CRS053), Hospital Management Program of Shanghai Hospital Association (X2022117), Intelligence Fund of Shanghai Skin Diseases Hospital (2021KYQD01), China Fund for Medical Equipment (LCIIT2022-03), China YMIOO Program (LCIIT2022-09), and Intelligence Funds of Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital (2021KYQD01), Shanghai Talent Development Fund (2021073), and Shanghai Shenkang Hospital Development Center Management Research Program (2020SKMR-32), Shanghai Sailing Program (No. 21YF1448100), and Xinglin Youth Scholar of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. RY411.33.10), Songjiang Science and Technology Program (20SJKJGG20, QQ Zhu) and Shanghai Pujiang Talent Program (No. 2020PJD067).