Assessment of Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) & Quality of Life (QOL) in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Back ground: Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) explores the dizziness of the individual in three domains. The presence of dizziness tends to affect the quality of life among the sufferers.

Objectives: To determine the pattern of QOL index among the above-mentioned patients and to correlate the DHI scores with QOL of the participants.

Material and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study carried out among patients aged more than 18 years with complaints of dizziness attending to the ENT department in a Tertiary Care Hospital at Puducherry over a period of three months. The total sample size was estimated as 140. A systemic random sampling was applied. Dizziness Handicap Inventory and WHO-quality of life assessment questionnaires were used to evaluate the severity of dizziness and quality of life, respectively. Pearson correlation test was used to assess the correlation between DHI and QOL.

Results: The mean total DHI score was 48.6 ± 22.4 and the mean QOL score was 47.91 ± 15.86. The DHI score was significantly higher among those with higher age and also those with comorbidities. The QOL was significantly lower among those belonging to higher age groups and also among those with comorbidities. With each unit increase in DHI, the QOL decreased by 0.72 units.

Conclusion: The quality of life among those with dizziness was found to be lower. Higher the age and presence of comorbidities adversely affected quality of life. There was a negative correlation between DHI and QOL.