Health-Related Quality of Life Among Middle-Aged Adults With Chronic Ankle Instability, Copers, and Uninjured Controls

Abstract

Context People with chronic ankle instability (CAI) display a lower regional and global health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Examinations of HRQoL outcomes associated with CAI have addressed younger adults, restricting our understanding of the long-term consequences of CAI. Objective To compare ankle regional and global HRQoL in middle-aged participants with and those without CAI. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants A total of 59 middle-aged volunteers, consisting of 18 with CAI (age = 50.2 ± 9.3 years), 17 who were ankle-sprain copers (age = 54.5 ± 8.7 years), and 24 uninjured controls (age = 56.7 ± 10.0 years). Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed the Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Adult Profile. Regional HRQoL was assessed using the FADI Activities of Daily Living and Sport subscales. Global HRQoL was measured using the 43-item Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Adult Profile, which contains 7 short forms—Physical Function, Pain Interference, Fatigue, Depression, Sleep Disturbance, Anxiety, and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities. Separate Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine between-groups differences. Results Middle-aged participants with CAI had lower scores on both subscales of the FADI than the coper and control groups (all P values <.001). Participants with CAI scored lower on the Physical Function (U = 116.0, z = −2.78, P = .005) and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities (U = 96.0, z = −3.09, P = .002) subscales but higher on the Pain Interference (U = 144.0, z = −2.36, P = .02), Fatigue (U = 110.0, z = −2.72, P = .006), and Depression (U = 110.5, z = −2.91, P = .004) subscales than the control group. Participants with CAI also scored lower on the Physical Function (U = 74.5, z = −2.79, P = .005) and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities (U = 55.0, z = −3.29, P = .001) subscales but higher on the Fatigue (U = 90.0, z = −2.09, P = .04) and Depression (U = 96.5, z = −1.97, P = .048) subscales than the coper group. Conclusions Middle-aged participants with CAI displayed worse ankle regional and global HRQoL than their age-matched healthy counterparts and copers. These results demonstrated that CAI can affect HRQoL outcomes in middle-aged adults.