Health-related quality of life in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients in a Portuguese central public hospital

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, the prevalence of which has registered a considerable increase, mainly in adults and elderly. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between health-related quality of life in patients with diabetes and sex, body mass index, type of diabetes and treatment regimens (type 1 diabetes: intensive versus conventional treatment; type 2 diabetes: insulin use versus non-insulin use), and duration of diabetes. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients with diabetes were interviewed. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the age-adjusted Short-Form 36 dimensions (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health), and related to demographic and clinical variables. Independent samples t-tests and One-Way Analysis of Variance were used to compare means of independent samples. The degree of association between pairs of variables was measured by Pearson’s (r) or Spearman’s (r(s)) correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 55.7±16.4 years; 54.8% were male, and 77.4% had type 2 diabetes. Females reported worse quality of life than males in all dimensions of the Short-Form 36, except for role-physical and bodily pain. Obese patients had worse physical functioning than normal weight and overweight patients, and worse vitality than their normal weight counterparts. Type 2 diabetic patients taking insulin had lower physical functioning and vitality than those without insulin therapy. Longer duration of diabetes was associated with lower physical functioning, role-physical, general health, vitality, role-emotional, and mental health. CONCLUSION: Being female, obese, having type 2 diabetes and taking insulin, and having a longer disease duration are characteristics associated with worse age-adjusted quality of life in patients with diabetes.