A Prospective Multicenter Study for Assessing MusiQoL Validity among Arabic-Speaking MS Patients Treated with Subcutaneous Interferon β-1a

Mohammed Al Jumah; Suleiman Kojan; Raed Alroughani; Edward Cupler; Saeed Bohlega; Abdulkader Daif; Mousa Al Mujalli; Talal Al Harbi; Mohamed El Tamawy; Samia Ashour; Chokri Mhiri; Riadh Gouider; Ayah Jawhary; Ahmed El Boghdady; Mohamed Hussein

doi:10.1155/2021/6681431

A Prospective Multicenter Study for Assessing MusiQoL Validity among Arabic-Speaking MS Patients Treated with Subcutaneous Interferon β-1a

Mult Scler Int. 2021 Mar 2:2021:6681431. doi: 10.1155/2021/6681431. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ King Fahad Medical City, MOH, As Sulimaniyah, Riyadh 12231, Saudi Arabia.
² King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia.
³ Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Amiri Hospital, Gulf Road, Bin Misbah St, Sharq, Kuwait.
⁴ Department of Neuroscience, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Al Rawdah Street, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Neurology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Zahrawi St, Riyadh 12713, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Neurology Department, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh 12372 6864, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Neurology Department, Herrah General Hospital, Makkah 20993, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Neurology Department, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Ammar Bin Thabit St, Al Merikbat Neighborhood, Dammam 32253, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Neurology Department, Cairo University Hospital, Old Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt.
¹⁰ Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, El-Khalyfa El-Mamoun St, El-Abaseya, Egypt.
¹¹ Habib Bourguiba Hospital, Rue Al Firdaws, 3029 Sfax, Tunisia.
¹² Razi Hospital, 1st Street Ovanges, 2010 Manouba, Tunisia.
¹³ Merck Serono, Tahaliyah St, 502 Jameel Square, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Abstract

Few studies examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Arabic-speaking multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, HRQoL tools such as the Short Form-36 QoL instrument (SF-36) and the Multiple Sclerosis International QoL (MusiQoL) questionnaire have been validated in other languages. The primary objective of this study was to prospectively assess HRQoL using the MusiQoL questionnaire among Arabic-speaking MS patients treated with subcutaneous interferon (sc IFN β-1a) over 12 months, as part of a prospective, multinational, multicenter cohort study. Patients' clinical parameters and HRQoL were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Changes in MusiQoL total and subdomain scores were compared using a Friedman test. Correlation between MusiQoL total score and Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) was also evaluated. In total, 439 patients from four Arabic-speaking countries were included. The mean age was 32.44 (±0.34) years, 71.5% were female, and 63.1% had an education level of university or above. The mean MS duration was 4.13 (±0.12) years, mean age at first attack was 27.35 (±0.26) years, and mean baseline EDSS score was 2.05 (±0.04). MusiQoL total score significantly improved at 6 months; however, this diminished at 12 months (65.67 ± 0.8 at baseline vs. 67.21 ± 0.79 at 6 months and 65.75 ± 0.8 at 12 months; p = 0.0015). Several aspects of patients' HRQoL including activity of daily living, physical well-being, symptoms, and coping improved. Overall HRQoL measured using SF-36 remained generally unchanged over time (p = 0.215). There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between change in EDSS score over time and change in overall MusiQoL score over time. In summary, findings confirm the utility of using MusiQoL for assessing changes in HRQoL during treatment with sc IFN β-1a in Arabic-speaking patients with MS.