Quality of life among adult patients living with diabetes in Rwanda: a cross-sectional study in outpatient clinics

Health-related quality of life of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A cross-sectional study in the cape coast metropolis

Background and Aim

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has in recent decades become a global pandemic, accounting for over 90% of DM cases. The study evaluated the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and identified its determinants among type 2 DM patients at the University of Cape Coast Hospital.

Methods

We conducted our study at the University of Cape Coast Hospital from January to March 2022. The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire was administered to 68 type 2 DM patients. Data were then inputted into Microsoft Excel and analyzed accordingly using IBM SPSS statistical software version 26 and GraphPad Prism 8.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 60.71 ± 12.18 with 55.9% being females. The average systolic, diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose (FBG) of participants were 140.99 ± 22.27, 85 ± 11.14 and 7.97 ± 2.66 respectively. With the EQ-5D-5L scale, participants reported severe to extreme problems mainly in pain/discomfort (19.1%) and mobility (8.8%) dimensions. Approximately 21% (14/68) of patients reported themselves as being in perfect health based on the EQ-5D index score with no significant difference between males and females (p ≥ 0.05). On a scale of 0 to 100, most (26.5%) of the participants rated their general health state at 80. Age was significantly associated with all five dimensions while patients with comorbidities had higher odds of experiencing pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression.

Conclusion

The study reveals that pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression are the most experienced problems among patients with type 2 DM. The HrQoL of type 2 DM patients was also found to be affected by age, comorbidities, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Therefore, identifying these factors and developing appropriate interventions is crucial for improving patient outcomes and enhancing treatment outcomes.

Good Quality of Life among People Living with Diabetes Mellitus Visiting the Outpatient Department of Endocrinology in a Tertiary Care Centre

Introduction

Assessing the quality of life of individuals living with diabetes is crucial for ensuring optimal care and effective management of complications related to their condition. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable mortality and morbidity among non-communicable diseases. The study aims to find out the prevalence of the good quality of life of people living with Diabetes mellitus visiting a tertiary care centre.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among type 2 diabetic patients visiting the Outpatient Department of Endocrinology in a tertiary care centre from 30 June 2022 to 20 July 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee. A systematic random sampling technique was used. D-39 questionnaires were administered via face-to-face interviews. Point estimate was calculated at 95% Confidence Interval.

Results

Among 118 patients living with diabetes, good quality of life was seen in 97 (82.20%) (75.30-89.10, 95% Confidence Interval). This study found that the energy and mobility domain has the highest mean score of 26.7±7.8.

Conclusions

The prevalence of good quality life of people living with Diabetes mellitus was found to be higher than other similar studies done in similar settings.

Keywords

diabetes mellitus; patients; quality of life.

Empowerment and Knowledge as Determinants for Quality of Life: A Contribution to a Better Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management

The purpose of this study was to assess how knowledge and empowerment impact the quality of life (QoL) of a person with type 2 diabetes, leading to better communication and disease management. We conducted a descriptive and observational study of individuals with type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), Diabetes Knowledge Test (DKT), and EQ-5D-5L were used, in addition to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Evaluating the variability in the DES-SF and DKT in relation to the EQ-5D-5L and identifying possible sociodemographic and clinical determinants were conducted using univariate analyses followed by a multiple linear regression model to test whether the factors significantly predicted QoL. A total of 763 individuals were included in the final sample. Patients aged 65 years or older had lower QoL scores, as well as patients who lived alone, had less than 12 years of education, and experienced complications. The insulin-treated group showed higher scores in DKT than the non-insulin-treated group. It was also found that being male, being under 65 years of age, having no complications present, and having higher levels of knowledge and empowerment predicted higher QoL. Our results show that DKT and DES are still determinants of QoL, even after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Therefore, literacy and empowerment are important for the improvement of the QoL of people with diabetes, by enabling them to manage their health conditions. New clinical practices focused on education, increasing patients' knowledge, and empowerment may contribute to better health outcomes.

Factors predicted quality of life of people with type 2 diabetes in western Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Multiple factors predict the quality of life of adults with diabetes. However, the relationships of demographics, self-management practice, and support status with the quality of life of people with diabetes are unknown. Therefore, the study aimed to assess factors related with the quality of life of adults with type 2 diabetes in western Ethiopia.

METHODS

A hospital-based cross-sectional study involving adults with type 2 diabetes was conducted in western Ethiopia from June 02, 2020, to August 31, 2020. Convenience sampling technique was used in selecting subjects. The translated and psychometrically tested summary of diabetes self-management activities (expanded), diabetes quality of life, and diabetes care profile support scales were used in measuring self-management practice, quality of life, and support status, respectively. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews. Factors related with quality of life were examined through bivariate analysis and multivariable linear regression. In all statistical tests, P value <0.05 and confidence level that excluded zero were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 417 adults with type 2 diabetes participated in the study. In a multivariable linear regression, seven factors including age, male, homemakers, those separated/divorced, number of years since diabetes diagnosis, self-management practice and support needed were related with quality of life. Male patients (β = 2.786, 95% CI = 1.285 to 4.287, p < 0.001), homemakers (β = 0.366, 95% CI = 0.056; 0.677, p = 0.021), self-management practice (β = 4.528, 95% CI = 3.851 to 5.205, p < 0.001) and those who needed support from their families or peers (β = 1.623, 95% CI = 0.458; 2.788, p = 0.006) were related positively with quality of life whereas those who separated or divorced (β = -1.698, 95% CI = -3.371 to -0.025, p = 0.047), older age (β = -0.195, 95% CI = -0.269 to -0.121, p < 0.001) and those who lived with diabetes for a longer duration (β = -2.206, 95% CI = -4.151 to -0.261, p = 0.026) were related negatively with quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Quality of life of people with type 2 diabetes living in western Ethiopia was predicted positively by being male, homemakers, having self-management practice, and support needed, whereas negatively influenced by old age, separation or divorce, and long diabetes life. Thus, encouraging self-management practice, and continuous family or friend support are necessary to enhance quality of life of people with type 2 diabetes. Further study should employ random sampling techniques and involve participants from multiple study settings to increase representativeness of the samples.