EQ-5D-5L Population Scores in Mainland China: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey 2021

Objectives There is a lack of monitoring changes in the population scores of the most recent version, EQ-5D-5L, in mainland China. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by assessing the EQ-5D-5L scores in mainland China using a nationally representative sample. Methods Data were extracted from the 2021 Survey of Health Index of Chinese Families, which covered 31 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities in mainland China. The survey employed a multi-stage quota sampling strategy encompassing 120 prefecture-level cities. Quotas were allocated to each prefecture-level city in accordance with the 2020 China Population Census. This approach resulted in a final sample of 11,030 eligible questionnaires. The utility index and EQ Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores were reported for the entire sample (age-gender-urban/rural weighted) and by the characteristics of the study participants. Results The study participants had a weighted mean utility index of 0.939 (SD=0.135) and EQ VAS score of 80.19 (SD=18.39). The most commonly reported problem was anxiety/depression (26.37%), while self-care was the least reported problem (6.18%). Those who were male, younger, lived without chronic conditions and disabilities, had higher levels of education, earned higher monthly household income, and were covered by basic medical insurance for urban employees had higher scores in both the utility index and EQ VAS. Conclusion This study revealed slightly lower utility index scores despite a much higher drop in EQ VAS scores while China maintained minimum cases of COVID-19 in 2021 compared to the population norms recorded in 2019. Further studies are warranted to unveil the full impacts of COVID-19 outbreaks.