Journal of Clinical Medicine
Depression and/or Anxiety and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults with Anemia: A National Analysis in the United States
By Monira Alwhaibi.
Abstract
Background
Anemia frequently coexists with depression and anxiety, which may further compromise health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, limited evidence exists on the independent association of these mental health comorbidities with physical and mental HRQoL among adults with anemia. The study objective is to examine the association between coexisting depression and/or anxiety and HRQoL among adults with anemia in the United States.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 835 adults with anemia. Participants were categorized into two groups: anemia only and anemia with depression and/or anxiety. HRQoL was assessed using the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12©). Weighted descriptive statistics were used to characterize the study population, and differences between groups were evaluated using chi-square tests and t-tests. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between the anemia groups and HRQoL after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health insurance, general health status, physical activity, and chronic comorbidities.