OBJECTIVETo explore the quality of life (QOL) outcome in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR).

METHODSA prospective trial was conducted to survey the QOL status of 101 AR patients, in contrast to that of 121 healthy individuals and 97 chronic pharyngitis (CP) patients by generic questionnaire medical outcomes study short-form 36-items health survey (SF-36), and to survey the most troublesome problems of AR patients by disease-specific questionnaire rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ). The correlation between SF-36 and RQLQ had also been analyzed. All the results were analyzed statistically.

RESULTSBy the assessment of SF-36, the scores of 3 domains (x ± s, the same as follow, the scores were 78.02 ± 18.37, 56.13 ± 17.49, 78.81 ± 16.47, respectively) of AR patients were less than those (84.00 ± 18.36, 74.69 ± 14.13, 83.78 ± 14.31) of healthy individuals (P < 0.05), and the scores of 7 domains (the scores were: 91.78 ± 11.78, 79.16 ± 30.23, 78.02 ± 18.37, 56.13 ± 17.49, 78.81 ± 16.47, 67.66 ± 39.57, 68.78 ± 13.65, respectively) of AR patients were similar with those (94.12 ± 6.88, 80.67 ± 32.38, 73.57 ± 17.96, 59.73 ± 16.58, 80.41 ± 17.01, 63.58 ± 39.99, 66.43 ± 13.71) of CP patients (P > 0.05). By the assessment of RQLQ, in AR patients, both the nasal symptoms and the practical problems got the highest scores (the scores were 2.70 ± 1.29, 2.53 ± 1.37 respectively). According to the assessment of the correlation between SF-36 and RQLQ, the correlation was weak (r = -0.199 ∼ -0.526, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe QOL of AR patients decreased compared with that of healthy individuals, but similar with that of CP patients. The most troublesome problems in AR patients were nasal symptoms and the practical problems. Both SF-36 and RQLQ were suitable for assessing the health status of AR patients. SF-36 and RQLQ each covered a different part of the QOL of AR patients, and the combination of the two questionnaires could improve the QOL measurement.