Does the Perception of Patients With Vitiligo About Their Disease Affect Their Quality of Life? Publisher



Ghandi N¹ ; Dasdar S¹ ; Kianfar N¹ ; Mohammadi NSH¹ ; Nasimi M¹
Source: Iranian Journal of Dermatology Published:2024

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentation disorder of the skin and mucous membranes that clinically manifests as depigmented macules and patches, and has a negative impact on patients’ quality of life. This study was performed to evaluate the association between quality of life and illness perception in patients with vitiligo. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 153 adult patients with confirmed vitiligo who were referred to Razi hospital as well as members of the Iran Vitiligo Association Channel (in cyberspace). After collecting the patient’s demographic information, the participants completed the illness perception questionnaire-revised (IPQ-R), the vitiligo-specific quality of life instrument (VitiQoL), and the self-assessment vitiligo extent score (SA-VES). Results: Eighty-seven men and 66 women with a mean age of 31 ± 8.6 years and a disease duration of 12.1 ± 8.4 years filled out the questionnaires. The mean score of the VitiQoL instrument was 38.9 ± 15.46 (range: 2-60). The results indicated that the more patients with vitiligo perceived their illness as chronic, cyclical, with negative consequences and emotional representations, the more their quality of life was impaired. According to the SA-VES questionnaire, the mean of skin involvement was 6.27 ± 9.8%, which showed a significant inverse relationship between skin involvement and cyclical perception of the disease. Conclusion: This report added to the literature on practical knowledge of managing vitiligo disorder. As vitiligo is a lifelong condition, measures should be taken to minimize the impact of the disease on patients’ lives. © Iranian Journal of Dermatology.