Abstract
BackgroundGlobally, diabetes is a leading cause of impairment of quality of life. In the sub-Saharan African region, there is a need for studies that provide more valid assessment of effect of diabetes on quality of life (QoL). This study aimed at assessing quality of life among patients with diabetes attending a tertiary health service in Nigeria.MethodsThe study design was a case-control. Diabetic cases were randomly recruited from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, while non-diabetic controls were civil servants and retirees. The validated and pretested WHOQoL-BREF instrument was used to assess quality of life, with higher scores indicating higher quality of life.ResultsThree hundred and thirty subjects were studied, with mean ages of males and females of 55.2 ± 4.8 and 51.8 ± 6.3 years, respectively. The mean total QoL score was 75.77 ± 11.2, with no significant difference between males and females. Among male and female cases, the mean score of the physical health domain was significantly lower for cases compared with controls (p = 0.05). Male cases compared with controls had higher scores for the environment domain (p < 0.05). Older age and higher systemic blood pressure were associated with lower QoL scores for both sexes (p < 0.05). Unmarried status, obesity, and poor glycemic control (HbA1c > 7%) were associated with lower QoL scores (p < 0.05). Fasting blood sugar (FBS) level and lipid profile were not significantly correlated with QoL score in both sexes (p > 0.05).ConclusionDiabetes contributes to low quality of life among males and females, with significant differences in the affected domains. Diabetes care providers should identify affected domains during clinic consultation, in order to improve provision of more effective care.
Highlights
Diabetes is a leading cause of impairment of quality of life
Physical quality of life was significantly lower among cases with poor compared with good control of their diabetes (21.4 vs. 23.2, p = 0.03)
4 Discussion This study aimed at assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among men and women with diabetes and comparing it with their controls in a tertiary health service in Nigeria
Summary
Diabetes is a leading cause of impairment of quality of life. In the sub-Saharan African region, there is a need for studies that provide more valid assessment of effect of diabetes on quality of life (QoL). National and global health systems are aimed at preventing disease and promoting health, especially via goal-oriented improvement in longevity and quality of life [1, 2]. An. Enang et al Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association (2021) 96:2 estimated 451 million people are diabetic, and 693 million are projected to have the chronic disease by 2045 [7]. Enang et al Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association (2021) 96:2 estimated 451 million people are diabetic, and 693 million are projected to have the chronic disease by 2045 [7] This suggests that in the coming years and decades, HRQoL is expected to consistently decrease due to rising burden of diabetes and other NCDs
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