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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Epidemiol.
Sec. Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Prevention
Volume 4 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fepid.2024.1455822

Evaluating health-related quality of life in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of EQ-5D-based studies

Provisionally accepted
Tenaw Baye Tenaw Baye 1*Desye Gebrie Desye Gebrie 1Abebe T. Kassaw Abebe T. Kassaw 1Abebe Dagne Taye Abebe Dagne Taye 2Fentaw Girmaw Fentaw Girmaw 1Getachew Ashagrie Getachew Ashagrie 1
  • 1 Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia
  • 2 Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Amhara, Ethiopia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is crucial for understanding how health conditions impact overall well-being. The EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) is a widely used tool for measuring HRQoL across diseases. In Ethiopia, this tool has been employed to assess HRQoL across various healthcare settings. This study aims to summarize EQ-5D-derived health outcomes in Ethiopian populations and identify key determinants influencing these outcomes.A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus was conducted through May 2024, with no publication date restrictions, focusing on HRQoL and EQ-5D instruments in Ethiopian populations. Grey literature searches were also performed using Google's Advanced Search. Cross-sectional studies across various diseases were included. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers, and pooled mean EQ-5D utility and EQ-5D visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) scores were calculated using a random-effects model in STATA software version 17.Study quality was evaluated using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) checklist, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic.Results: Fourteen cross-sectional studies involving 5,639 patients from 2019 to 2024 in Ethiopia were analyzed. Health utility values varied across diseases, with pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression being the most commonly affected dimensions. The pooled EQ-5D utility for HIV patients was 0.88, and the EQ-VAS score was 76.59. For diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, the pooled utility was 0.78, and the EQ-VAS score was 69.36. For COVID-19 patients, the pooled utility was 0.86, and the EQ-VAS score was 74.56. Cancer patients had a pooled EQ-VAS score of 67.87.The EQ-5D is a reliable tool for measuring HRQoL in Ethiopian patients across various diseases. The study's pooled EQ-5D scores provide valuable insights for future economic evaluations in the Ethiopian healthcare system.

    Keywords: EQ-5D, Ethiopia, Quality of Life, Meta-analysis, Systematic review

    Received: 22 Jul 2024; Accepted: 10 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Baye, Gebrie, Kassaw, Dagne Taye, Girmaw and Ashagrie. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Tenaw Baye, Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.