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56/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 56 out of 100. Caregiving

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Plain-language summary

Background Dementia is a chronic illness associated with a progressive loss of cognitive and intellectual abilities, such as memory, judgment and abstract thinking. The objective of this study was to assess the health utilities of patients with dementia in Europe and identify the key factors influencing their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQol). Methods This study used cross-sectional data from the Odense study; a Danish cohort of patients aged 65-84 living in Odense, Denmark. A total of 244 patients with mild to severe dementia were interviewed together with a caregiver about their health status and activities of daily living (ADL). Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable dementia. Vascular dementia and other types of dementia were diagnosed according to the DSM-IIIR criteria. Severity of dementia was defined by score intervals on the Mini Mental State Examination score: mild (MMSE 20-30), moderate (MMSE 10-19), and severe (MMSE 0-9). Based on the ADL information, the patients' dependency level was defined as either dependent or independent. Questions from the Odense Study were mapped into each of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D in order to assess patients' HRQol. Danish EQ-5D social tariffs were used to value patients' HRQol.A regression analysis of EQ-5D values was conducted with backward selection on gender, age, severity, ADL level and setting in order to determine the main factor influencing HRQoL. Results The EQ-5D weight in patients independent upon others in ADL was 0.641 (95% CI: [0.612-0.669]), and in those dependent upon others was 0.343 (95% CI: [0.251-0.436]). Conclusion Dependency upon others to perform ADL was the main factor affecting HRQoL.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Andersen, C. K., Wittrup-Jensen, K. U., Lolk, A., Andersen, K., & Kragh-Sørensen, P. (2004). Ability to perform activities of daily living is the main factor affecting quality of life in patients with dementia. Health and quality of life outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-2-52

Vancouver

Andersen CK, Wittrup-Jensen KU, Lolk A, Andersen K, Kragh-Sørensen P. Ability to perform activities of daily living is the main factor affecting quality of life in patients with dementia. Health and quality of life outcomes. 2004. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-2-52. PMID: 15383148.

BibTeX

@article{andersen2004-15383148,
  author  = {Andersen, C. K. and Wittrup-Jensen, K. U. and Lolk, A. and Andersen, K. and Kragh-Sørensen, P.},
  title   = {{Ability to perform activities of daily living is the main factor affecting quality of life in patients with dementia}},
  journal = {Health and quality of life outcomes},
  year    = {2004},
  doi     = {10.1186/1477-7525-2-52},
  pmid    = {15383148},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-2-52}
}

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How to read this study

Design: this is a cross-sectional study. Everyone is measured once, so it cannot show which came first. Read it as a snapshot of how two things go together at one moment.
Size: the record lists 244 participants. Ask whether that is enough for the question, and who they were.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded moderate. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Moderate means the abstract mentions a cohort, case-control or longitudinal design. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

Background Dementia is a chronic illness associated with a progressive loss of cognitive and intellectual abilities, such as memory, judgment and abstract thinking.
Results The EQ-5D weight in patients independent upon others in ADL was 0.641 (95% CI: [0.612-0.669]), and in those dependent upon others was 0.343 (95% CI: [0.251-0.436]).

Why it matters

In this cross-sectional study of 244 patients with dementia, those dependent on others for activities of daily living had much lower health-related quality of life than those who were independent. It identifies daily living ability as a main factor affecting quality of life but does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.

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Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Participants244
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 56/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Health and quality of life outcomes)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Health and Quality of Life Outcomes: journal h-index 180 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2004 — older than 20 years, still counted
Sample size	2 / 4	244 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 365 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	15.2 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 19.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 5 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 45 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Per Kragh-Sørensen: h-index 30 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	0 / 3	Odense University Hospital: institution h-index 499 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 15383148)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	56 / 100	—

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