Abstract
BackgroundThe EQ-5D instrument is arguably the most well-known and commonly used generic measure of health status internationally. Although the instrument has been employed in outcomes studies of diabetes mellitus in many countries, it has not yet been used in Nigeria.ObjectiveThis study was carried out to assess the sensitivity of the EQ-5D instrument in a sample of Nigerian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using the EQ-5D instrument to assess the self-reported quality of life of patients with T2DM attending two tertiary healthcare facilities in south eastern Nigeria consenting patients completed the questionnaire while waiting to see a doctor. A priori hypotheses were examined using multiple regression analysis to model the relationship between the dependent variables (EQ VAS and EQ-5D Index) and hypothesized independent variables.ResultsA total of 226 patients with T2DM participated in the study. The average age of participants was 57 years (standard deviation 10 years) and 61.1 % were male. The EQ VAS score and EQ-5D index averaged 66.19 (standard deviation 15.42) and 0.78 (standard deviation 0.21) respectively. Number of diabetic complications, number of co-morbidities, patient’s age and being educated predicted EQ VAS score by −6.76, −6.15, −0.22, and 4.51 respectively. Also, number of diabetic complications, number of co-morbidities, patient’s age and being educated predicted EQ-5D index by −0.12, −0.07, −0.003, and 0.06 respectively..ConclusionOur findings indicate that the EQ-5D could adequately capture the burden of type 2 diabetes and related complications among Nigerian patients.
Highlights
The EQ-5D instrument is arguably the most well-known and commonly used generic measure of health status internationally
Our findings indicate that the EQ-5D could adequately capture the burden of type 2 diabetes and related complications among Nigerian patients
The presence of diabetic complications, co-morbidities and increasing age were hypothesized to reduce health related quality of life measures (EQ visual analogue scale (VAS) and EQ-5D index) decrease with, while gender was hypothesized to have no influence on EQ VAS and EQ-5D index
Summary
The EQ-5D instrument is arguably the most well-known and commonly used generic measure of health status internationally. The instrument has been employed in outcomes studies of diabetes mellitus in many countries, it has not yet been used in Nigeria. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex and chronic disease that has a significant burden on both the patient and caregivers. The study showed that almost half of the population with diabetes (48 %) were unaware about their condition. The plethora of complications which diabetic patients have to face diminishes their health related quality of life (HRQoL). In addition to diabetes-related complications, episodes and fear of hypoglycaemia, as well as change in lifestyle could further lead to reduction in HRQoL. From the clinical point of view, HRQoL is an important humanistic outcome measure for assessing diabetic patients’ disease outcome
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