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Relationship between Dermatology Life Quality Index Scores and EQ-5D-5L Utility Values in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis : Development of a Swedish Mapping Model

Metsini, Alexandra ; Ryen, Linda ; Montgomery, Scott ; Molarius, Anu ; Svensson, Åke LU and Kobyletzki, Laura LU (2026) In Acta Dermato-Venereologica 106.
Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially in moderate-to-severe disease. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) is the most widely used dermatology-specific measure, whereas the EuroQol Five-Dimension, Five-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), a generic preference-based instrument, assesses health status across diseases. This study examined the relationship between DLQI and EQ-5D-5L in Swedish adults with atopic dermatitis and developed a mapping model to estimate EQ-5D-5L utilities from DLQI scores. In this cross-sectional study, 112 Swedish adults with self-reported physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, recruited through the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Patient Association, completed... (More)

Atopic dermatitis is associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially in moderate-to-severe disease. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) is the most widely used dermatology-specific measure, whereas the EuroQol Five-Dimension, Five-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), a generic preference-based instrument, assesses health status across diseases. This study examined the relationship between DLQI and EQ-5D-5L in Swedish adults with atopic dermatitis and developed a mapping model to estimate EQ-5D-5L utilities from DLQI scores. In this cross-sectional study, 112 Swedish adults with self-reported physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, recruited through the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Patient Association, completed both questionnaires. DLQI scores correlated strongly and negatively with EQ-5D-5L index values (r=−0.64, p<0.001). Each 5-point increase in DLQI corresponded on average to a 0.07 decrease in EQ-5D-5L utility. A fractional logit regression model including covariates age, sex and disease severity, showed good calibration and explained 27% of the variance in EQ-5D-5L values. These findings demonstrate that DLQI scores meaningfully reflect generic HRQoL among adults with atopic dermatitis and can be used to estimate EQ-5D-5L utilities when preference-based data are unavailable. The results enhance understanding of how DLQI relates to overall health status and support the application of DLQI-derived utilities in cost-effectiveness analyses and health technology assessments.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
atopic dermatitis, DLQI, EQ-5D-5L, health-related quality of life, mapping, patient-reported outcomes
in
Acta Dermato-Venereologica
volume
106
article number
adv-2025-0277
publisher
Medical Journals Limited
external identifiers
  • scopus:105041171129
  • pmid:42231631
ISSN
0001-5555
DOI
10.2340/actadv.v106.adv-2025-0277
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bf46ded6-339b-4e8b-9521-955e34017140
date added to LUP
2026-07-02 11:23:01
date last changed
2026-09-10 17:19:07
@article{bf46ded6-339b-4e8b-9521-955e34017140,
  abstract     = {{<p>Atopic dermatitis is associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially in moderate-to-severe disease. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) is the most widely used dermatology-specific measure, whereas the EuroQol Five-Dimension, Five-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), a generic preference-based instrument, assesses health status across diseases. This study examined the relationship between DLQI and EQ-5D-5L in Swedish adults with atopic dermatitis and developed a mapping model to estimate EQ-5D-5L utilities from DLQI scores. In this cross-sectional study, 112 Swedish adults with self-reported physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, recruited through the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Patient Association, completed both questionnaires. DLQI scores correlated strongly and negatively with EQ-5D-5L index values (r=−0.64, p&lt;0.001). Each 5-point increase in DLQI corresponded on average to a 0.07 decrease in EQ-5D-5L utility. A fractional logit regression model including covariates age, sex and disease severity, showed good calibration and explained 27% of the variance in EQ-5D-5L values. These findings demonstrate that DLQI scores meaningfully reflect generic HRQoL among adults with atopic dermatitis and can be used to estimate EQ-5D-5L utilities when preference-based data are unavailable. The results enhance understanding of how DLQI relates to overall health status and support the application of DLQI-derived utilities in cost-effectiveness analyses and health technology assessments.</p>}},
  author       = {{Metsini, Alexandra and Ryen, Linda and Montgomery, Scott and Molarius, Anu and Svensson, Åke and Kobyletzki, Laura}},
  issn         = {{0001-5555}},
  keywords     = {{atopic dermatitis; DLQI; EQ-5D-5L; health-related quality of life; mapping; patient-reported outcomes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Medical Journals Limited}},
  series       = {{Acta Dermato-Venereologica}},
  title        = {{Relationship between Dermatology Life Quality Index Scores and EQ-5D-5L Utility Values in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis : Development of a Swedish Mapping Model}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2340/actadv.v106.adv-2025-0277}},
  doi          = {{10.2340/actadv.v106.adv-2025-0277}},
  volume       = {{106}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}