General population normative data for the EORTC QLQ-C30 health-related quality of life questionnaire based on 15,386 persons across 13 European countries, Canada and the Unites States
S Nolte, G Liegl, M A Petersen, N K Aaronson, A Costantini, P M Fayers, M Groenvold, B Holzner, C D Johnson, G Kemmler, K A Tomaszewski, A Waldmann, T E Young, M Rose, EORTC Quality of Life Group, S Nolte, G Liegl, M A Petersen, N K Aaronson, A Costantini, P M Fayers, M Groenvold, B Holzner, C D Johnson, G Kemmler, K A Tomaszewski, A Waldmann, T E Young, M Rose, EORTC Quality of Life Group
Abstract
Objective: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 health-related quality of life questionnaire is one of the most widely used cancer-specific health-related quality of life questionnaires worldwide. General population norm data can facilitate the interpretation of QLQ-C30 data obtained from cancer patients. This study aimed at systematically collecting norm data from the general population to develop European QLQ-C30 norm scores and to generate comparable norm data for individual countries in Europe and North America.
Methods: We collected QLQ-C30 data from the general population across 11 European Union (EU) countries, Russia, Turkey, Canada and United States (n ≥ 1000/country). Representative samples were stratified by sex and age groups (18-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and ≥ 70 years). After applying weights based on the United Nations population distribution statistics, we calculated QLQ-C30 domain scores to generate a 'European QLQ-C30 Norm' based on the EU countries. Further, we calculated QLQ-C30 norm scores for all 15 individual countries.
Results: A total of 15,386 respondents completed the online survey. For the EU sample, most QLQ-C30 domains showed differences by sex/age, with men scoring somewhat better health than women, while age effects varied across domains. Substantially larger differences were seen in inter-country comparisons, with Austrian and Dutch respondents reporting consistently better health compared with British and Polish respondents.
Conclusions: This study is the first to systematically collect EORTC QLQ-C30 general population norm data across Europe and North America applying a consistent data collection method across 15 countries. These new norm data facilitate valid intra-country as well as inter-country comparisons and QLQ-C30 score interpretation.
Keywords: Canada; EORTC QLQ-C30; Europe; General population; Quality of life; USA; norm data; normative data; patient-reported outcomes; self-report; survey.
Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Source: PubMed