Comparative Study on Health-Related Quality of Life of Farmers and Workers

To estimate and compare the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between Chinese farmers and workers and study the relationships between the sociodemographic factors and HRQOL of the 2 populations.

We conducted 2 cross-sectional surveys in Zhejiang Province in China by using multistage cluster sampling; we applied the EuroQOL 5-dimensions 3-level (EQ-5D-3L) self-report questionnaire to assess the HRQOL of farmers and workers through face-to-face interviews. The χ² test, 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression models were used to compare the HRQOL between farmers and workers and identify the factors that influence HRQOL.

We included 3675 farmers and 2836 workers in the analysis. The HRQOL differed between the 2 populations. The most prevalent problems reported were Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression; workers reported significantly more Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression compared with farmers (P < 0.001). The mean EQ-5D index scores were 0.987 for farmers and 0.959 for workers (P < 0.001), and the EQ-VAS scores were 83.59 for farmers and 81.11 for workers (P < 0.001), indicating that farmers had better HRQOL compared with workers. Sex, age, marital status, education level, and personal monthly income were reported to influence the HRQOL of farmers, whereas marital status and education level were reported to influence that of workers.

The HRQOL of farmers was better than that of workers. To improve the HRQOL, it is important to pay more attention to mental health, especially in workers.