The EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire for cancer patients ( QLQ ‐C30): Australian general population reference values

Objectives To generate Australian general population reference values for the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire for cancer patients (QLQ-C30); to compare Australian values with published EORTC general population reference values, and to explore associations between socio-demographic and health characteristics and QLQ-C30 subscale scores. Design Analysis of responses to cross-sectional, online survey (QLQ-C30), March 2015 – February 2016, and supplementary health-related and socio-demographic questions. Setting, participants 1979 people quota-sampled from a national online survey panel to be representative of the Australian general population by age and sex. Main outcome measures Mean QLQ-C30 subscale scores, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics and comorbid conditions, by sex and age group. Results Data for 1821 participants were analysed (92% completion rate); 924 (50.7%) were women. Higher psychological distress was associated with worse outcomes on all QLQ-C30 subscales. Better self-reported general health was associated with better global quality of life and better functioning (except cognitive functioning), and less fatigue, pain, dyspnoea and insomnia. Having arthritis or rheumatism was associated with poorer global quality of life, and poorer physical, role and social functioning, and with more fatigue, pain, insomnia, diarrhoea, and financial difficulties. Although differences between Australian QLQ-C30 subscale scores and EORTC general population values were clinically trivial, the Australian values are more accurate benchmarks for QLQ-C30 results from Australians with cancer. Conclusions Our Australian QLQ-C30 reference values provide normative benchmarks that facilitate interpretation of data for Australians with cancer in terms of burden of disease and its treatment. In survivorship studies and studies without pre-disease baseline data, comparisons with reference values can indicate the extent to which people have returned to better levels of health.