Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Factors associated with health-related quality of life 1 year after COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Sweden

Kisiel, Marta A. ; Janols, Helena LU ; Hiller, Adriana-Maria LU orcid ; Forsell, Christoffer ; Kock, Claes ; Neiderud, Carl-Johan ; Westman, Gabriel LU ; Janini, James ; Ekström, Magnus LU orcid and Malinovschi, Andrei LU , et al. (2025) In Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences 130.
Abstract
Aims: The main aim of the present study was to identify factors influencing health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as measured by EQ-5D-5L, in individuals 1 year after the acute phase of COVID-19.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 75 participants (51% females), 1 year after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (76% hospitalised). Associations between HRQoL, measured by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): EQ-5D-5L, and factors of interest, including persistent symptoms, comorbidities, work ability index (WAI), lung function, six-minute walking test (6MWT), and dyspnoea-12 (D-12) questionnaire, were assessed by an analysis of variance (ANCOVA) model (adjusted by various factors of interest) with post hoc pairwise... (More)
Aims: The main aim of the present study was to identify factors influencing health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as measured by EQ-5D-5L, in individuals 1 year after the acute phase of COVID-19.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 75 participants (51% females), 1 year after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (76% hospitalised). Associations between HRQoL, measured by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): EQ-5D-5L, and factors of interest, including persistent symptoms, comorbidities, work ability index (WAI), lung function, six-minute walking test (6MWT), and dyspnoea-12 (D-12) questionnaire, were assessed by an analysis of variance (ANCOVA) model (adjusted by various factors of interest) with post hoc pairwise comparison.Results: In the ANCOVA, lower HRQoL was significantly associated with not having a university education (mean difference [MD] with 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.115 [0.013–0.217]), a higher number of persistent symptoms (for 10 vs. 1–3 symptoms: −0.153 [−0.291, −0.015]), lower work ability (for poor vs. excellent: −0.283 [−0.445, −0.120]), any comorbidity (0.077 [0.015–0.138]), and affective distress in the D-12 (0.257 [0.096–0.417]). No significant sex differences in HRQoL and the level of care at the acute infection were shown. In descriptive analysis, lower HRQoL was significantly associated with age under 55, sick leave, more dyspnoea in D-12, and poorer work ability.Conclusions: Work ability, comorbidities, persistent symptoms, and affective distress were associated with lower HRQoL at 1-year follow-up after COVID-19. No significant differences in HRQoL were observed between sexes. Our study highlights the need to address HRQoL in post-COVID-19 rehabilitation and broader public health planning. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences
volume
130
article number
e13260
publisher
Upsala Medical Society
ISSN
0300-9734
DOI
10.48101/ujms.v130.13260
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5ec5ecd0-29a9-41b2-a947-15510f88aa39
alternative location
https://ujms.net/index.php/ujms/article/view/13260
date added to LUP
2026-01-20 11:48:25
date last changed
2026-01-20 11:48:25
@article{5ec5ecd0-29a9-41b2-a947-15510f88aa39,
  abstract     = {{Aims: The main aim of the present study was to identify factors influencing health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as measured by EQ-5D-5L, in individuals 1 year after the acute phase of COVID-19.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 75 participants (51% females), 1 year after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (76% hospitalised). Associations between HRQoL, measured by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): EQ-5D-5L, and factors of interest, including persistent symptoms, comorbidities, work ability index (WAI), lung function, six-minute walking test (6MWT), and dyspnoea-12 (D-12) questionnaire, were assessed by an analysis of variance (ANCOVA) model (adjusted by various factors of interest) with post hoc pairwise comparison.Results: In the ANCOVA, lower HRQoL was significantly associated with not having a university education (mean difference [MD] with 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.115 [0.013–0.217]), a higher number of persistent symptoms (for 10 vs. 1–3 symptoms: −0.153 [−0.291, −0.015]), lower work ability (for poor vs. excellent: −0.283 [−0.445, −0.120]), any comorbidity (0.077 [0.015–0.138]), and affective distress in the D-12 (0.257 [0.096–0.417]). No significant sex differences in HRQoL and the level of care at the acute infection were shown. In descriptive analysis, lower HRQoL was significantly associated with age under 55, sick leave, more dyspnoea in D-12, and poorer work ability.Conclusions: Work ability, comorbidities, persistent symptoms, and affective distress were associated with lower HRQoL at 1-year follow-up after COVID-19. No significant differences in HRQoL were observed between sexes. Our study highlights the need to address HRQoL in post-COVID-19 rehabilitation and broader public health planning.}},
  author       = {{Kisiel, Marta A. and Janols, Helena and Hiller, Adriana-Maria and Forsell, Christoffer and Kock, Claes and Neiderud, Carl-Johan and Westman, Gabriel and Janini, James and Ekström, Magnus and Malinovschi, Andrei and Janson, Christer}},
  issn         = {{0300-9734}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Upsala Medical Society}},
  series       = {{Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences}},
  title        = {{Factors associated with health-related quality of life 1 year after COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.48101/ujms.v130.13260}},
  doi          = {{10.48101/ujms.v130.13260}},
  volume       = {{130}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}