Evaluation of Health-related Quality of Life in Patients With Diabetes in Different Care Settings a Cross Sectional Study in Alain, UAE

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in type 2 diabetic patients across four domains—physical, psychological, social, and environmental—and explore the possible determinants of these domains. MethodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, 397 type 2 diabetic patients in Alain city were interviewed using validated questionnaires in three different care settings: primary, secondary and private health care facilities. The WHO Quality of Life instrument, generalized anxiety disorder score, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) were employed. ResultsThe participants comprised 270 females (68%) and 127 males (32%), with 68.9% in the 41–65 years age group; 49.6% were married. The most common comorbidities were dyslipidemia (69.3%), hypertension (61%), and osteoarthritis (24.7%). On a scale of 0 to 100, the highest QOL mean score was reported in the social relationship domain (78.3), followed by the environmental (77.7), psychological health (74.2), and physical health (70.7) domains. The risk of depression was a strong determinant of poor physical health. Social factors have great impact on a patient’s health and well-being. We noticed no difference in HRQOL outcome between primary, secondary, and private health care facilities.ConclusionThe social and mental health domains were the most influential in HRQOL among the participants. This finding supports targeting QOL assessments of patients with type 2 diabetes at the regular chronic diseases clinics and in the planning of population health management programs to ensure the best outcomes.