Health-Related Quality of Life of Adults With Long COVID: A Cross-Sectional Study in Primary Care.
Assel Muratovna Shigayeva Ferreira, Flávia Emília Leite de Lima Ferreira, João Agnaldo do Nascimento and 3 others
PMID 42218573WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with Long COVID reported worse health-related quality of life than those without, especially anxiety/depression, pain/discomfort, and usual activities.
These differences remained after accounting for age, sex, and comorbidities.
Key findings
0169.0% (156/226) of adults with prior mild-to-moderate COVID-19 met the Long COVID definition.
02Adults with Long COVID reported higher prevalence of anxiety/depression (66.7% vs. 31.4%), pain/discomfort (61.5% vs. 31.4%), mobility (43.6% vs. 17.1%), and usual activities (37.8% vs. 11.4%) problems than those without Long COVID.
03After adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities, Long COVID was associated with higher odds of anxiety/depression (aOR 3.86, 95% CI 1.93 to 7.75), pain/discomfort (aOR 2.24, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.73), and usual activities (aOR 2.68, 95% CI 1.01 to 7.13).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience sample from six primary care units, so it may not represent all adults with Long COVID. The study measured people at one point and cannot show that Long COVID caused lower quality of life. Symptoms were assessed retrospectively, so recall bias is possible. Utility scores used the US value set because a Brazilian value set was not available, so they may not reflect Brazilian values. Most respondents were women (68.1%), which may influence the results. Testing capacity in 2021 was limited, so some infections may not have been tested or recorded.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado da Paraíba (FAPESQ). No other conflicts are reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these differences as proof that Long COVID caused lower quality of life or that any therapy will improve it. The study was a cross-sectional survey with convenience sampling and retrospective symptom recall, and it did not test treatment.