Assessment of quality of life in people living with hemophilia: A case study of Yaoundé Hemophilia Treatment Centre, Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Hemophilia is a sex-linked bleeding disorder resulting from deficiencies in coagulation factors, predominantly affecting individuals in developing countries. This study aims to assess the quality of life (QoL) of people living with hemophilia (PLWH) at the Yaoundé Hemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC), as no prior studies have been conducted in Cameroon. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2022 to May 2022. We recruited 43 male patients with confirmed hemophilia, utilizing the EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-Y questionnaires to evaluate QoL. Data were analyzed using R software, with statistical significance set at p <0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 17.3 years. Hemophilia A was prevalent in 88.4% of cases, with a mean age at diagnosis of 4.9 years. Most patients (67.4%) received on-demand treatment, and the primary complaint was joint pain. The overall EQ-5D utility score was 0.72, indicating moderate QoL, with VAS scores of 67.6 for both adults and children. Conclusion: The QoL of PLWH at the Yaoundé HTC is moderate according to the Blom cut-off scale.