Prevalence of Restless Leg Syndrome and Its Severity on Quality of Life in House Wives

Abstract

Background: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological sensorimotor disorder that disrupts sleep and daily functioning and is associated with impaired quality of life (QOL), yet evidence in non-working women engaged in domestic labor remains limited. Objective: To quantify the distribution of RLS symptom severity and evaluate its association with overall QOL among symptomatic housewives in Sialkot, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 367 symptomatic housewives aged 25–40 years selected by convenience sampling. RLS severity was measured using the International Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (IRLS; range 0–40), categorized as none (0), mild (1–10), moderate (11–20), severe (21–30), and very severe (31–40). QOL was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF total score. Associations between categorical variables were tested using chi-square with effect size (Cramer’s V), and linear regression evaluated the relationship between IRLS score and QOL. Results: The mean age was 32.41 ± 4.95 years. Mean IRLS score was 18.15 ± 8.12 and mean QOL score was 86.59 ± 12.77. RLS severity distribution was none 3.5%, mild 13.6%, moderate 42.2%, severe 36.2%, and very severe 4.4%. RLS severity category was significantly associated with QOL category (χ² = 93.18, df = 12, p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.29). In regression, higher IRLS scores predicted lower QOL (B = −0.75; 95% CI −0.89 to −0.60; β = −0.48; R² = 0.226; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Among symptomatic housewives, moderate-to-severe RLS burden was common and higher symptom severity was strongly associated with reduced quality of life, supporting the need for early identification and management in this high-burden group.