Predictors of Health-related Quality of Life and Self-care in a Large Sample of Spanish Adults with Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and self – care behaviors in a large sample of diabetic patients (DPts) and to examine which patients’ characteristics influence on them.

Methods: This cross - sectional study included 1,039 DPts (561/478, Men/Women, 156/883 DM1/DM2, mean age 62±15 years old; mean diabetes duration 15±10 years) evaluated in a diabetes (DM) specialized outpatient office, at St Carlos Hospital, in Madrid, from 2012 to 2014. HRQoL was assessed with the EuroQoL- Visual Analogue Scale (EQoL-VAS) and the Diabetes Quality of Life Score (DQoL). Treatment adherence was evaluated using the Self-Care Inventory-revised (SCI- r). Multiple logistic regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between HRQoL, adherence to treatment and several demographic and clinical patients’ characteristics.

Results: A lower quality of life was associated with the female gender, the presence of chronic complications and a poor glycemic control (all p < 0, 05). After adjustment for confounders, obese middle-aged men showed the lowest adherence to treatment. However, women with a prolonged duration of the DM (> 15 years) and DPts receiving insulin treatment showed a better DM self-care (p <0.05).

Conclusions and Implications: The duration of the DM, metabolic control, the type of therapy, and the presence of chronic complications are important determinants of HRQoL and treatment adherence in patients with DM, and should be taken into account when treating DPts. Data obtained could be useful to plan patient-based health decisions.