Gender Disparities in Quality of Life Among Chronic Liver Disease Patients: A Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chronic liver diseases have a high prevalence among males and females in the world. It affects the quality of life of the patients. The chronic liver disease questionnaire is an instrument consisted of 6 domains developed in 1999 to measure the quality of life in chronic liver diseases. Objectives: To compare the quality of life between males and females in chronic liver diseases using the chronic liver disease questionnaire. Methods: We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase through February 2024 for studies that compared the quality of life in chronic liver disease between males and females using the chronic liver disease questionnaire. Effect sizes are reported as the variance of the mean difference and the mean difference values. We used the PRISMA checklist to report our results. Sensitivity analysis was performed to detect any study that had a high impact on our overall results. Results: We analyzed data from 8 studies with 6846 total number of patients. Women showed a significant worse quality of life than men in 5 domains of the chronic liver disease questionnaire. These domains are abdominal symptoms, systemic symptoms, activity, emotional functioning, and worry. There was no significant difference in the fatigue measurement between males and females. The overall score shows a significant difference between the two groups with a mean difference of 0.32 (95% confidence interval, 0.14 to 0.49). Conclusion: This study reveals that women with chronic liver disease suffer a significantly worse quality of life than men, particularly in areas such as abdominal symptoms, systemic symptoms, activity, emotional functioning, and worry. No significant difference was found in the fatigue domain. These insights underscore the urgent need for gender-specific interventions to enhance the quality of life for women battling chronic liver disease.

KEYWORDS

Showing references and in-text citations exactly as published.

• DOI10.18549/PharmPract.2025.2.3173Copy

RELATED ARTICLES

Matched on section and article type within this issue of PP.

• Article · VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2The impact of evidence-based interventions on depression in survivors of intimate partner violence: A Systematic review and meta-analysisSamaphorn Theinkaw, Prayuth Poowaruttanawiwit · pp. 1–16Original ResearchSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2Exploring the impact of pharmacist involvement in palliative care medication managementZainab Zakaraya, Noor T Alsaadi, Marwah T Alsaadi, Lina Tamimi, Mohammad Abu Assab, Filip Lorena, Naifa Alenazi, Jawza A Almutairi, Samiah Alhabardi, Wael Abu Dayyih · pp. 1–12Original ResearchSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2A qualitative exploration of community pharmacists’ practices and beliefs of pretravel pharmacist consultations for prospective Hajj and Umrah pilgrimsNorazlin Abdul Kadir, Mohd Shahezwan Abd Wahab, Azyyati Mohd Suhaimi, Noordin Othman · pp. 1–16Original ResearchSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2Cannabis in Portugal - Knowledge, attitudes and training gaps of pharmacists and pharmaceutical sciences studentsC Paiva, T Santos, A Cunha-Oliveira, I Rosendo, JR Pita · pp. 1–7Original ResearchSame type: Article