Factors associated with quality of life in patients with diabetic hypoglycaemia

Abstract

The study aimed to identify determinants of quality of life among patients who had experienced hypoglycemia and who were undergoing insulin treatment. Patients with diabetes receiving insulin treatment are at high risk for hypoglycemia, which tends to affect their quality of life. With a cross-sectional and observational study design (See the STROBE checklist and Supplementary File 1). One hundred and fifty patients with type 2 diabetes who had received insulin treatment and had experienced hypoglycemia (< 70mg/dl) in the last six months were recruited. Data were collected from May 2016 to February 2018 using the Knowledge of Hypoglycemia Scale, Fear of Hypoglycemia Scale, Social Support Scale, and the simplified Taiwanese version of the Quality of Life Scale developed by the World Health Organization. Factors found to be associated with quality of life in patients with hypoglycemia included having an educational level of senior high school or above, being on an insulin regimen only, engaging in regular exercise, diabetes complications, fear of hypoglycemia, and greater social support, which accounted for 28.5% of the total variance. During the process of glycemic control, patients inevitably experience hypoglycemic episodes. Therefore, healthcare providers should assist patients with disease management in order to improve their quality of life. Future studies should also recruit patients who claim to have experienced hypoglycemic symptoms, rather than considering only those with blood glucose levels below 70mg/dl, in order to expand the generalizability of the findings. Future studies may also focus on the management of hypoglycemia in patients on an insulin regimen, and on examining the effect of health education programs on prevention of hypoglycemia. The present findings could provide a reference for healthcare providers to consolidate nursing care guidelines and to improve such patients' quality of life.