ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF CHRONIC DERMATOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON QUALITY OF LIFE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY UTILIZING THE DERMATOLOGY LIFE QUALITY INDEX (DLQI)"

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to use the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) to evaluate the effect of illness on the quality of life of dermatological patients.

Study design: A Cross-Sectional Study

Duration and Place of Study: From January 2022 to January 2023, cross-sectional research was conducted in the dermatology outpatient department of PIMS Hospital, Islamabad.

Methods Fifty adults in a row who had a dermatological condition that had persisted for more than six months were questioned and given the DLQI. DLQI is a self-administered, comprehensive questionnaire that is tailored to the field of dermatology and is used to assess the effect of skin disorders on patients' health-related quality of life. Symptoms, emotions, daily routines, athletic pursuits, job/school, personal connections, and therapy are the six areas covered over the last week. Patients whose native language was not English had the option of using the validated Urdu version of the instrument, as well as the original English form, in our research.

Results: There were twenty-one women and 29 men. 38+15 years was the mean age. Among our patients, 13 different dermatological conditions were identified. Melasma was diagnosed in 14% of cases, and chronic eczema in 31% of patients. The sickness lasted anywhere from four months to twenty years, with a typical length of 11.38+4.8 years. The DLQI score ranged from 0 to 16, with a mean of 10.01+3.08. The length of the sickness was substantially correlated with the score (p = 0.0002, student t test). The DLQI scores did not significantly vary between the sexes (p value 0.28, student t test).

Conclusion Regardless of a specific diagnosis, dermatological conditions significantly impair patients' quality of life, with the impact increasing with the duration of illness.