General population reference values for 3-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire in Poland

Abstract

INTRODUCTION A Polish EQ-5D normative study published in 2010 was conducted in 2008 as a pilot study. The group of respondents was relatively small and had limited representativeness.OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to derive population norms for the 3-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire in Poland using a large, representative sample.RESPONDENTS AND METHODS Stratified random sampling was used. A total of 3941 respondents (age, 18C87 years) completed the self-administered paper-based EQ-5D-3L questionnaire (3973 completed the visual analog scale, EQ VAS) and were included in this study. Utility index scores were derived using the Polish time trade-off value set.RESULTS The study sample was representative of the general Polish population in terms of age, sex, geographical region, type and size of a given locality, level of education, and social and professional status. Mean EQ-5D-3L and visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) values decreased from 0.968 and 86.2 (age group, 18C24 years) to 0.730 and 54.0 (age group, ¡Ý75 years), respectively. The most frequently reported complaints were pain/discomfort (45.8%) followed by anxiety/depression (33.3%), while the least commonly reported problem was self-care (9.4%).CONCLUSIONS Polish population norms developed for the EQ-5D-3L index, descriptive part of the EQ-5D-3L, and EQ VAS can be used as reference values. The availability of such normative data should encourage the use of EQ-5D-3L in health-related quality-of-life studies in Poland.