Subjective health and impaired quality of life due to allergies in a representative population survey

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the quality of life among patients with different allergic diseases and to assess the health perception of patients with allergies compared to patients without allergies.

Methods: The source of data was the Vienna Health and Social Survey, a representative cross-sectional survey, commissioned by the City of Vienna.

Results: 18.7% of those suffering from allergies in the year before questioning reported that they had felt "very impaired", 30.0% felt "quite impaired", 42.4% "a little impaired" and 8.9% "not impaired at all". Women felt "very impaired" as a consequence of allergy more often than men (21.8% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.05). On a scale of 0 to 100 (0 = worst possible; 100 = best possible state of health) patients with allergies rated their state of health as distinctly worse than those people without allergies (71.7 vs. 74.1 points, p < 0.001). Of the various allergic illnesses patients suffering from asthma or allergy-related intestinal problems experienced the greatest impairment in quality of life. For these two diseases physical ability and feeling fit enough to do what one would like to do was also significantly reduced, when compared with subjects without allergies.

Conclusion: Compared to people without allergies, patients with allergies have a significantly more impaired quality of life. It is important to take this into account when deciding upon a treatment regime.