Contemporary EQ-5D-5L reference values for adults in Scotland: a secondary analysis of the SIPHER-HWMIC survey

Purpose Contemporary EQ-5D-5​L reference values for Scotland are lacking. We estimated values for Scottish adults using the United Kingdom value set. Methods We analysed the 2022 SIPHER-HWMIC online panel survey, which oversampled Scottish residents. We included adults with complete EQ-5D-5​L responses and valid EQ VAS data (n = 7,776). Index values were calculated using the Rowen et al. [27] United Kingdom value set, with the Devlin et al. [26] England value set as a comparator. Estimates were post-stratified to Scotland’s age-by-sex distribution using mid-2022 population counts. Sensitivity analyses assessed weighting, alternative value sets, and other specifications. Results The weighted mean EQ-5D-5​L index was 0.827 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.821–0.833), mean EQ VAS was 73.1 (95% CI 72.6–73.6), and 20.7% reported full health. Problems were most common in pain/discomfort (60.3%) and anxiety/depression (53.9%), and least common in self-care (14.9%). Anxiety/depression problems were highest among younger adults, particularly women aged 18–24 years (79.9%), whereas mobility, usual activities, and pain/discomfort problems generally increased with age. Index and EQ VAS scores were lowest among respondents who were long-term sick or disabled, and were also lower among those with lower incomes or substantial caring responsibilities. Weighting changed the mean index marginally (0.820–0.827); the Devlin et al. value set yielded 0.819. Findings were otherwise robust to sensitivity analyses. Conclusion These contemporary reference values can support interpretation of EQ-5D-5​L data in Scottish clinical, public health, and economic evaluations. Given recruitment through non-probability online panels, they should be regarded as general-population reference values rather than nationally representative norms.