Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40159957›Full record

ArticleOsong public health and research perspectives2025

A comparison of health-related quality of life using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF and 5-Level EuroQol-5 Dimensions in the Malaysian population.

Andrian Liem, Hui Jun Chih, Vithya Velaithan, Richard Norman, Daniel Reidpath, Tin Tin Su

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Osong public health and research perspectives, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Andrian LiemJeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
Hui Jun ChihSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Vithya VelaithanSouth East Asia Community Observatory, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.
Richard NormanSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Daniel ReidpathInstitute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
Tin Tin SuJeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.

Funding

Faculty of Medicine; Nursing and Health Sciences; the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science and the Faculty of ArtsMonash University
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aimed to describe and compare health-related quality of life (QoL) as measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) and the EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) among the Malaysian population, examining differences by sociodemographic characteristics including age, income, sex, ethnicity, educational level, and occupation.

methodsThis cross-sectional study used data from 19,402 individuals collected as part of a health and demographic surveillance system survey conducted in the Segamat district of Malaysia in 2018-2019. Descriptive statistics and measures of central tendency were produced. Differences in QoL among demographic sub-groups were examined using the t-test and analysis of variance, while the correlations between the WHOQoL-BREF and EQ-5D were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients.

resultsBased on complete case analysis (n=19,129), the average scores for the 4 WHOQoLBREF domains were 28.2 (physical), 24.1 (psychological), 12.0 (social relationships), and 30.4 (environment). The percentages of participants not in full health for each EQ-5D dimension were 12.8% (mobility), 3.1% (self-care), 6.9% (usual activities), 20.9% (pain/discomfort), and 6.8% (anxiety/depression). Correlations between the 4 WHOQoL-BREF domains and the 5 EQ-5D dimensions were relatively weak, ranging from -0.06 (social relationships with self-care and pain/discomfort; p<0.001) to -0.42 (physical with mobility; p<0.001).

conclusionAlthough health-related QoL as measured by the WHOQoL-BREF and the EQ-5D are correlated, these 2 measures should not be considered interchangeable. The choice between them should be guided by the specific research questions and the intended use of the data.

Indexed as

Community participationDeveloping countriesHealth inequitiesQuality of lifeSurveys and questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID40159957
PMCPMC12066227

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.