Quality of life among adults with beta-thalassemia major in western Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To assess the quality of life in the thalassemia adult patients and clarify how effective the management is of these patients and whether a change in care is warranted.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, adult thalassemia patients (>18 years) of both genders, attending the day care unit in King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeedah, Saudi Arabia were surveyed using SF-36 questionnaire. Data were collected between October 2012 and December 2012. The questions highlighted 3 health status scales; physical functioning (PF), emotional functioning (EF), and social functioning (SF). Scores were analyzed using SPSS.

RESULTS: Forty-eight adults were surveyed (mean+/-SD: 26.02+/-5.56). These were made up of 60.4% males and 41.7% were Saudis. The frequency of blood transfusion was every 3 weeks in 81.3% of patients, but 18.8% were having transfusions less frequently. Half of our sampled patients were splenectomized (54.2%). The PF score for the total sample was 61.4 (SD=22.7), the SF score was 75 (SD=26.4) and the EF score was 69.7 (SD= 21.6); the SF and EF scores were lower in females and non-Saudis compared to male Saudis.

CONCLUSION: The PF score in our sample was low compared to other regional studies; the SF and EF scores were low in females and non-Saudis.