Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Herpes zoster (HZ), affecting 14.9 million people aged ≥ 50 globally in 2020, imposes a growing burden in aging populations due to its association with chronic pain, psychological distress, and socioeconomic disparities. This study aimed to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with HZ and explore its socioeconomic and clinical determinants in China. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to investigate the HRQoL of 2,566 herpes zoster patients across seven Chinese cities using the EQ-5D-5 L and VAS-100 instruments. Multivariate linear regression models quantified the association of age, income, insurance type, herpes zoster related pain, complications, and comorbidities with HRQoL. RESULTS: The average EQ-5D score was 0.83, and the average VAS score was 71.49 among herpes zoster patients in China. Patients aged ≥ 70 years exhibited the most severe decline in both EQ-5D (β = -0.110, p < 0.01) and VAS-100 scores (β = -8.811, p < 0.01), with mobility limitations (OR = 3.696, p < 0.01) and self-care deficits (OR = 2.295, p < 0.01) disproportionately affecting this group. Herpes zoster related pain was associated with lower HRQoL (EQ-5D:β = -0.126, p < 0.01). Patients with comorbidities faced significant HRQoL reductions (VAS: β = -4.014, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study found that Chinese herpes zoster patients exhibited higher HRQoL scores compared to those reported in most of other studies. Advanced age, lower education levels, inadequate insurance coverage, and pain occurrence were all significantly associated with diminished HRQoL. The observed disparities in HRQoL reductions among patient subgroups highlight the need to address health equity through curative interventions and preventive strategies.