Estimating Disability Weight of Human Neurocysticercosis in Dali, Yunnan province, China

Abstract BackgroundHuman cysticercosis, caused by the liver parasite Taenia solium, remains an important neglected tropical disease in China. In Yunnan province, a large proportion of in-patients with cysticercosis suffer from neurocysticercosis. Neurocysticercosis, though preventable, is a cause of epilepsy globally. Disability weight is an important parameter when estimating neurocysticercosis disease burden and assessing disability-adjusted life years. However, there is a paucity of information on disability weight in patients with neurocysticercosis.MethodsParticipants were separated into 2 groups and were interviewed by EQ-5D+C questionnaire in Dali prefecture, Yunnan province. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0.ResultsCompared to those in the first-visit group, health barriers were less frequently reported in all six dimensions in the follow-up group, except for the cognitive dimension. Disability weights in both the first-visit and follow-up groups were 0.3.ConclusionsThe health-related quality of life of NCC patients was seriously impaired, and cognitive competence is the most prominent health barrier. Psychological medical care should be taken as one component in the treatment of NCC patients.