Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42070195›Full record

ArticleQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2026

Factors associated with preoperative health-related quality of life in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery: a multi-ethnic Asian cohort.

Xun Li, Calvin Wei Jie Chern, Alex Quok An Teo, Jiong Hao Jonathan Tan, Annushiah Vasan Thakumar, Nan Luo, Hwee Weng Dennis Hey, Ling Jie Cheng

Erratum issuedAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Preoperative health-related quality of life across four degenerative lumbar conditions in a multi-ethnic Southeast Asian surgical cohort: a cross-sectional SF-36 analysis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Xun LiSchool of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-6135-508X
Calvin Wei Jie ChernAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-5432-4305
Alex Quok An TeoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0200-3331
Jiong Hao Jonathan TanDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9237-2586
Annushiah Vasan ThakumarSchool of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7261-1255
Nan LuoSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7980-6979
Hwee Weng Dennis HeyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2012-9835
Ling Jie ChengAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. cheng.lingjie@nus.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5338-578X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo examine sociodemographic, clinical, and healthcare-related factors associated with preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients undergoing surgery for degenerative lumbar spine conditions in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

methodsThis cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Spine PROM Surgery Registry, including 1194 patients scheduled for surgery within a Singapore healthcare cluster between 2017 and 2022. HRQoL was measured using the EQ-5D-3L, with utility scores crosswalked to the EQ-5D-5L index using the van Hout crosswalk. Hierarchical linear regression assessed factors associated with HRQoL across three blocks: sociodemographic, clinical, and healthcare/lifestyle. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with reporting problems within each EQ-5D dimension.

resultsMean age was 58.1 years (SD 16.1); 51.5% were female. Mean EQ-5D-5L index was 0.43 (SD 0.38). Pain/discomfort (93.6%) and usual activities problems (84.3%) were most commonly reported. Lower EQ-5D scores were independently associated with non-outpatient presentation (β = -0.37), non-Chinese ethnicity (e.g., Malay: β = -0.10), secondary education (β = -0.15), and accident/trauma history (β = -0.11). Dimension-level analyses showed secondary education was associated with higher odds of problems in mobility (OR = 2.72), self-care (OR = 1.87), usual activities (OR = 1.80), and anxiety/depression (OR = 1.97). Non-outpatient presentation was associated with markedly higher odds of self-care problems (OR = 2.98).

conclusionsPatients awaiting lumbar spine surgery appear to have impaired preoperative HRQoL. Although the modest explained variance limits robust risk prediction, preoperative profiles may still help inform clinical discussions and shared decision-making. Non-outpatient presentation may help identify patients who could benefit from enhanced preoperative support, although this requires prospective validation. Differences by ethnicity and education suggest opportunities for culturally tailored counselling. EQ-5D dimension profiles may indicate targets for prehabilitation and provide Singapore-based benchmark data for a lumbar spine surgery cohort for patient-centred care, service benchmarking, and health technology assessment.

Indexed as

Asian PeopleLumbar VertebraeQuality of LifeSpinal DiseasesAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPreoperative PeriodSingaporeSurveys and QuestionnairesDegenerative lumbar spineEQ-5D-5LHealth-related quality of lifePatient-reported outcomesSingaporeSpinal stenosis

Identifiers

PMID42070195
PMCPMC13136196

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.