Valuation of Life With Disability: An International Comparison Study in Vietnam, Peru, and Haiti. (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Spiegel, Elizabeth; Nesbit, Kathryn C.; Altenor, Ketly; Nguyen, Hoa Thi; Tran, Ly; Hermosa, Angela Quiñonez; Martin, Holly; Oettingen, Julia von; Treleaven, Emily; Partridge, John Colin
• Is Part Of: Journal of child neurology. Volume 36:Number 7(2021)
• Page Start: 556
• Page End: 567
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: utilities -- disability -- quality of life -- global health -- low-resource countries; Nervous system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.928
• DOI: 10.1177/0883073820983262
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-0738

Abstract

The authors measured perceived quality of life for 4 disabilities among 450 adults in 3 resource-limited countries, measuring mean utilities using time trade-off, and surveying participants on 35 sociocultural characteristics to compare utilities for disabilities by country and examine associated sociocultural characteristics. Mean utilities were >0 for mild and moderate, but <0 for severe and profound. Utilities differed across countries ( P = .007, .000, .017, .000 for mild, moderate, severe, profound, respectively). Vietnamese utilities correlated with residence ( P = .03, moderate), education ( P = .03, severe), and number of children ( P = .03, moderate). Peruvian utilities correlated with education ( P = .05, mild; P = .05, severe), experience with disability ( P = .001, mild), gender ( P = .04, moderate; P = .03, profound), number of hospitalizations ( P = .04, severe). In Haiti, the only correlate was rejection ( P = .02, moderate). Culture-specific variables differentially shape perceptions of disability in developing countries, thereby affecting cost-effectiveness calculations. Given substantially negative perceptions, reducing major disability would improve cost-effectiveness of health-policy decisions more than reducing mortality.