Title: Health-related and diabetes-related quality of life (QOL) in Japanese children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Abstract

Background: To assess 1) the HR-QOL of primary, junior and high school children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and to compare them with healthy school children and 2) To compare the DR-QOL and parents' QOL between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Japan. Methods: Overall, 471 patients aged 9-18 years (368 with type 1 and 103 with type 2 diabetes) and their parents were involved. QOL was assessed by self-administered questionnaire. Results: The total score of HR-QOL for primary and junior school children with type 1 diabetes was significantly higher than that of those with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls. However, there were no significant differences in high school children. Some subscale of HR-QOL were significantly lower for children with type 2 diabetes than for children with type 1 diabetes or healthy controls. The DR-QOL of children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes did not significantly differ. The Family Burden and Family Involvement were significantly greater in parents of children with type 1 diabetes. There were significantly positive correlations between HR-QOL and DR-QOL in both groups. In type 1 diabetes only, there were significant negative correlations between HbA1c and some subscales of the HR-QOL and PDQOL, and weak positive correlation between HbA1c and Family Burden. Conclusions: The HR-QOL of school children with type 1 diabetes was higher than that of those with type 2 diabetes and healthy school children. The QOL of school children with type 1 diabetes was not impaired.