Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Evidence shows that majority of dermatological disorders affect the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients. However, the extent of its negative impact and predictors has not been studied in Ethiopia. Thus, this study looked at assessing the HRQoL and determinants in patients with dermatological disorders (DDs) attending the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (UoGCSH). RESULTS: Patients with dermatological disorders (n = 400) were included in the final analysis using a systematic random sampling technique. The mean age of the participants was 39.79 (± 17.17) years. The average (± SD) score of EQ-5D-5 L was 1.92 (± 0.74). Regarding domains, pain/discomfort accounted for a higher proportion 59 (22.3%) followed by anxiety/depression 61 (15.3%). Receiving topical preparations (β = -0.399, 95% CI: -0.6, - 0.19; < 0.001), systemic only medication (β = -0.378, 95% CI: -0.607, -0.149; p = 0.002), having slight, mild, and moderate skin diseases found to have an inverse association with impaired HRQoL, (β = -0.654, 95% CI; -1.01, -0.290); p < 0.001), (β = -0.748, 95% CI: -0.960, -0.538; p < 0.001), and (β = -0.465, 95% CI: -0.642, -0.283; p < 0.001), respectively. Furthermore, age (β = 0.011, 95% CI: 0.006, 0.016; p = 0.001), long duration with skin disease (β = 0.046, 95% CI: 0.015, 0.352; p = 0.013), and presence of comorbidity (β = 0.251, 95% CI: 0.096, 0.402; p = 0.002) were significant predictors of HRQoL among dermatological disease patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with dermatological disease were found to have a compromised HRQoL. Pain /discomfort problems accounted for a higher proportion compared with other domains. Socio-demographic, clinical and medication-related variables were significantly associated with HRQoL.