Quality of Life in the Iranian Mustard Gas Victims; A Meta-Analysis

Aims: Following the application of chemical weapons against Iran by Iraq, approximately 100,000 people were affected by chemical weapons. This study aimed to assess the quality of life in mustard gas victims. Information Methods: In this metaanalysis study, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, IranMedex, Magiran, and SID databases were searched until 2019. The extracted data were analyzed by the randomeffect model. The heterogeneity of studies was assessed by the I2 index, and the data is analyzed by STATA 12.1. Findings: The average quality of life by SF36 and SGRQ questionnaires was reported based on seven studies including 1241 victims. SF36 showed that the Pooled score of the physical component scale is 28.33 (95% CI: 24.0232.63), whereas the MCS is 35.83 (95% CI: 29.0742.59). The victims achieved the least score, 21.76 (95% CI: 19.9923.53) for the physical component in the subscale of Role FunctionPhysical, and the mental component score in the Role FunctionEmotional subscale that is recorded as 31.36 (95% CI: 17.7045.01). The result from the SGRQ questionnaire showed 66.9 (95% CI: 56.777) as the Pooled total average of the quality of life and the symptom subscale recorded 79.05 (95% CI: 68.889.3) as the highest score for the chemical victims in Iran. Conclusion: The quality of life of chemical weapon victims is very low. These victims possess poor physical and mental components. While they have a better situation in the mental component comparing to the physical.