Assessment of Health-related Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis Patients at Azadi Teaching Hospital, Kirkuk City, Iraq

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a vital indicator of overall well-being, particularly in individuals with chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients with MS often experience physical, emotional, and social challenges that significantly affect their HRQoL. Therefore, this study aimed to assess HRQoL among patients with MS in Kirkuk City.

This cross-sectional study included 135 patients with MS who were receiving treatment at the MS Consultation Unit of Azadi Teaching Hospital between January and April 2025. Participants were purposively sampled and interviewed face to face using a structured questionnaire that collected sociodemographic information, clinical data, and responses to the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life (MSQOL-54) scale. SPSS version 27 was used for statistical analyses, including descriptive and inferential statistics.

A total of 135 patients with MS were included (77.8% female; mean age 36.96 ± 10.70. Most participants (63.0%) reported a fair level of HRQoL, while only 0.7% achieved an excellent level. The mean overall MSQOL score was 43.52 ± 11.18. Among the subdomains, social functioning (63.26 ± 12.30) and health perceptions (59.97 ± 11.94) showed the highest scores, whereas physical functioning had the lowest score (40.96 ± 20.76). No significant differences in overall HRQoL were observed across sociodemographic variables; however, disease duration was negatively correlated with overall HRQoL (r = -0.232, p = 0.007). Physical and mental health composite scores were strongly positively correlated with overall MSQOL (r =0.826, p < 0.001, and r = 0.895, p < 0.001, respectively).

The findings indicate that HRQoL among patients with MS is substantially affected, particularly with increasing disease duration, highlighting the importance of sustained clinical and psychosocial support in routine care.

These findings highlight the need for healthcare interventions that address both the physical and mental health aspects in MS care to improve patients’ quality of life.