Abstract
Study objective
The purpose of this study was to determine subjective health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of the Austrian population over 14 years of age in order to evaluate the effect of socio‐demographic variables on HRQoL.
Design/Setting
HRQoL was determined by means of the quality of life index ‐ German version (QLI‐Ge). The influence of socio‐demographic variables on HRQoL was assessed by statistical analysis using the Kruskal‐Wallis test and an analysis of variance.
Participants
A random‐quota procedure was used to get balanced representation from regions and demographic groups of the Austrian population. The sample consisted of 1049 participants, 493 men and 556 women.
Main results
Age was found to influence the QLI‐Ge total score (index score) and most individual items, with increasing age resulting in a decrease in HRQoL. Differences between the sexes were observed in three dimensions: males scored higher in ‘physical well‐being’, ‘psychological well‐being’ and ‘occupational functioning’. Marital status impacted most items with married persons showing better values than divorced persons or singles. Profession had only a minor effect on HRQoL, the level of education showed no influence at all.
Conclusions
The socio‐demographic variables age, sex and objective living conditions had a major influence on subjectively rated HRQoL, whereas profession and education were found to play a minor role in this context. It is recommended that in the interpretation of studies assessing HRQoL the above‐mentioned objective factors be considered. This will be of particular importance when determining the effect of a pharmacotherapy on HRQoL in patients. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.