Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus: A Population-Based Study at a Tertiary Hospital

• Main Authors: Thai Quang Nguyen, Trung Quang Vo, Giang Huong Nguyen, Thoai Dang Nguyen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited 2018-06-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
• Subjects: diabetes; d-39; health-related quality of life; hrqol; qol; vietnam
• Online Access: https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/11705/35733_CE[Ra1]_F(RK)_PF1(AnG)_PFA(SS)_PN(SS).pdf

Introduction: The rising incidence of diabetes, worldwide, has necessitated an evaluation of diabetes impacts on HealthRelated Quality of Life (HRQoL). The recognition of risk factors that lower HRQoL can improve HRQoL in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Aim: To explore the impact of T2DM on HRQoL among adolescents/adults treated at a tertiary hospital in southern Vietnam. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July–September 2017 at District 9 Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In total, 286 patients with T2DM underwent face-to-face interviews and completed the Diabetes39 (D-39) questionnaire (previously evaluated for reliability). Each subscale score was summed and transformed into a scale of 0–100. HRQoL differences were evaluated by Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were all over 0.80 and showed acceptable high internal consistency. The lowest Cronbach’s alpha was obtained for ‘Anxiety and worry’ (0.81) and the highest for ‘Diabetes control’ and ‘Sexual behaviour’ (0.93). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.80 for ‘Anxiety and worry’ to 0.93 for ‘Sexual behaviour’ and agreed well for all subscales and the D-39 total score. The median D-39 total score was 35.0 (scale 0–100). Patients prescribed insulin or who had a family history of diabetes scored higher on ‘Diabetes control’ and ‘Social behaviour’ and the D-39 total score. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that having an urban area residence, no income and high BMI predicted a lower impact of diabetes on HRQoL scores. Conversely, unemployment correlated with higher scores for ‘Energy and mobility’ and the total HRQoL, while family history had a higher impact on ‘Anxiety and worry’ and ‘Social burden’. The presence of complications was associated with a higher ‘Energy and mobility’ score. Conclusion: The Diabetes-39 Vietnamese version used in our study had acceptable reliability for evaluating HRQoL in patients with T2DM. The ‘Energy and mobility’ and ‘Anxiety and worry’ subscales were highly impacted by T2DM, indicating a need to address physical function and patient psychology. The independent predictors are useful additions to diabetes care programs suitable for individuals.