Reported morbidities and quality of life: population-based study

ABSTRACT The purpose was to verify the level of health-related quality of life in a population-based sample of adults aged 20 years or more living in the city of Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil, and its association with the amount of reported morbidities. A population survey was conducted through a complex sampling in two stages, totaling 600 participants in the urban area of Bauru, São Paulo. To collect data, the following instruments were used: 1. Characterization of participants (demographic and socio-economic aspects, physical activity level and smoking habit); 2. reported morbidity through the following question: "Last year, did you receive a diagnosis of any illness from a doctor?; 3. Quality of Life, using the Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were carried out using the Student's t-test and ANOVA. It was noted that 70.5% had at least one disease, and the most common morbidities reported were hypertension, osteoarthritis, depression, and diabetes. The association between the number of diseases, those who reported three or more diseases, and older age had worse HRQOL scores in all physical domains and limitations by social and emotional aspects. A greater number of comorbidities was associated with the lower scores of health-related quality of life.