Abstract
This study applied the generalised estimating equations (GEE) in a large-scale prospective cohort study of predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a Taiwan population. The study population included all patients who had undergone primary total hip replacement (THR) performed between March 1998 and December 2002 by either of two orthopaedic surgeons in two hospitals. The SF-36 was used in pre- and postoperative assessments of 335 patients. Young age, male gender, minimal comorbidity, use of epidural anaesthesia, lack of readmission within the previous 30 days, and higher preoperative functional status were positively associated with HRQoL (P < 0.05). Patients should be advised that their postoperative HRQoL may depend not only on their postoperative health care but also on their preoperative functional status. These analytical results should be applicable to other Taiwan hospitals and to other countries with similar social and cultural practices.