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Publication . Ferreira, Lara; Ferreira, Pedro Lopes; Baleiro, Rita

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic rheumatic disease of unknown aetiology and greater incidence among the elderly. It can lead to serious consequences regarding functional limitations and patient's ability to work. The purpose of this study was to assess the health-related quality of life in patients with RA. Methods: Portuguese version of SF-6D and Portuguese translations of EQ-5D and AIMS2-SF were self-administered in a postal survey to a representative sample of the Portuguese population with RA. Data concerning the patients' characteristics and the stage of the disease were also collected. Results: The majority of the patients presented minor problems in some of the instruments' dimensions. In a scale from 0.30 to 1.00, the average utility score was 0.77. The lowest utility scores were reported by women, those who were divorced or separated, individuals with lower educational levels, who had lower incomes, were recently diagnosed and those who were not taking new biological therapies. Apart from these, patients who had a more severe RA and co-morbidity also report lower utility scores. Conclusions: The preference-based utility measures used in this study adequately discriminate across different RA severity and socio-demographic background. Assuming that these values represent the patients' preferences and the utility associated with their health state, the results presented in this paper may be used as an approximation to normative values for the SF-6D in economic evaluation studies as well as in clinical studies.

2008-09Journal article

Open Access

Mapeamento dos gastos em consumo das famílias de países da União Europeia

Publication . Pereira, Luis Nobre; Ferreira, Lara Noronha

A análise dos gastos das famílias constitui um indicador que poderá ser utilizado para estudar a performance da economia portuguesa num contexto europeu. Neste artigo apresenta-se um mapeamento da evolução dos gastos em consumo das famílias de alguns países da União Europeia, em percentagem dos gastos totais em consumo entre 1991 e 2001. Esse mapeamento é feito através de um estudo em Dupla Análise em Componentes Principais. Os resultados indicam uma evolução temporal decrescente do peso dos gastos em consumo das famílias em alimentação, bebidas, vestuário e calçado, relativamente aos gastos totais, e uma subida dos gastos em habitação, água, electricidade, gás, outros combustíveis, comunicações, entretenimento e cultura. Verificou-se a existência de uma oposição em termos de gastos em consumo entre os países do sul e os do norte da Europa. Em Portugal, observou-se uma diminuição dos gastos em consumo em alimentação, vestuário e calçado e um aumento dos gastos em entretenimento e cultura.

2008Journal article

Open Access

Quality of life in asthma patients

Publication . Ferreira, Lara; Brito, Ulisses; Ferreira, Pedro Lopes

In this paper we present a study whose main aim is the measurement of the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of patients with asthma and the presentation of a first draft of normative values as measured by the SF-6D for asthma patients. In addition, we investigate how far non-disease-specific HRQoL measures can distinguish groups in terms of socio-demographic characteristics. The Portuguese versions of the EQ-5D, SF-6D, AQLQ(S) and ACQ were administered using personal interviews to a representative sample of the Portuguese population with asthma. Most of the individuals did not report significant problems in the dimensions used, with the exception of the physical functioning, where individuals reported moderate limitations. The mean utility value was 0.86. Male gender, young, single, individuals with high educational attainment level, employed, individuals with high income and those residing in urban areas reported higher utility levels. As expected, those who were in a severe stadium of the disease reported lower mean utility levels than those who were in a less severe stadium of the disease. Normative values for the SF-6D were computed for patients with asthma by gender, age, marital status, educational attainment level, employment status, area of residence and average monthly net income. The preference-based measures used in this study distinguish patient groups with asthma in terms of socio-demographic groups. The normative values can be used in economic evaluation and clinical studies as they incorporate patients' preferences and translate the value attributed to patients' health state.

2010-02Journal article

Open Access