Health Related Quality of Life in Diabetic Patients in Pokhara Metropolitan City

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus is a common and serious global health problem and is associated with the complications such as cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy, which can lead to severe mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this study was to find out the healthrelated quality of life patients with diabetes mellitus. Descriptive cross-sectional research design was used among 116 patients with diabetes mellitus in Diabetes, Thyroid and Endocrinology Care Center, Pokhara via Systematic sampling. Materials and Methods: Data was collected using structured World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument- Short form: WHOQOL-BREF tool and analyzed by using computer package with Statistical Package for Social Science software version 16. In inferential statistics t- test and ANOVA test was used to measure the association between selected demographic variables and overall HRQOL as well as all the domains at 5 percent level of significance.

Results: The significant association was observed between physical, psychological, social and environment domain with presence of comorbid illness and complications. The study found that patients with diabetes mellitus had higher health related quality of life in environment domain but lower in social domain. Age below 54 years, male, duration of disease less than 10 years, living in a nuclear family and employed respondent had higher quality of life.

Conclusion: The study concluded the overall HRQOL is good in patient less than 54 years, male, married, patient having family history of diabetes, duration of diabetes less than 10 years, absence of comorbidity and complications.