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Quality of Life and Depression in the General Korean Population: Normative Data and Associations of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL) with Depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and Socioeconomic Status

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Abstract

This study aimed to present normative data of Quality of life (QoL) and to evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic factors, multidimensional QoL and depression. A questionnaire including the Short Form-12 (SF-12) for physical and mental health-related QOL (HRQOL), the McGill Quality of Life questionnaire (MQOL) for existential well-being and social support-related QOL, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms was designed and administered to 1200 Korean participants as part of a population-based survey. The MQOL of the entire and female population decreased notably with age (p < 0.001 for both), and women, 40-years-old individuals, and religious individuals had higher physical HRQOL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.67, 2.14, and 1.31), and persons older than 40 years of age and with an income of >$3000 reported a better mental HRQOL (aOR = 1.42 and 1.38). Those who were educated at higher than college level or were religious reported a worse mental HRQOL (aOR = 0.70 and 0.69). Unlike QOL measured by the SF-12, MQOL was lower among women (aOR = 0.77) and participants who were divorced or separated (aOR = 0.23 for existential well-being and 0.40 for social support). Participants who were educated at higher than college level (aOR = 1.51) and those living in a city/country reported a better MQOL (aOR = 1.50 for existential well-being and 1.60 for social support). Among the QOL scores that were significantly related to depression, existential well-being-related QOL had the highest aOR (aOR = 38.15), followed by physical HRQOL score (aOR = 4.52). Further consideration is needed to raise awareness of the need for evaluating multidimensional QOL in the general population.

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Availability of Data and Materials

The raw data are being kept in the custody of Seoul National University Medical College and are available upon request.

Funding

This study was supported by the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) and by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (Grant number: HI16C0455). None of the funding organizations had any role in the design of the study, analysis, or interpretation of the data, or in the preparation, review, and approval of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Eunkyo Kang & Young Ho Yun

  2. Public Healthcare Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

    Eunkyo Kang

  3. Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 03080

    Ye Eun Rhee, Soojeong Kim, Jihye Lee & Young Ho Yun

  4. Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Young Ho Yun

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  1. Eunkyo Kang
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Contributions

YHY contributed to the ideas in this paper. EKK contributed the writing and analyses. YHY, EKK, YER, SK, JL contributed to the design, interpretation of the data and analyses and had valuable critics of the draft. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Young Ho Yun.

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Kang, E., Rhee, Y.E., Kim, S. et al. Quality of Life and Depression in the General Korean Population: Normative Data and Associations of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL) with Depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and Socioeconomic Status. Applied Research Quality Life 16, 1673–1687 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-020-09838-x

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