Health Related Quality Of Life And Associated Factors Among Diabetic Patients Attending Wolkite University Specialized Hospital, South West Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a serious, chronic condition that occurs when raised level of blood glucose occur because the body cannot produce any or enough of the hormone insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Objective: To assess the health related quality of life and associated factors among patients with diabetes on follow up at wolkite university specialized hospital south west Ethiopia. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 420 patients from June 24 to August 25, 2023, and a systematic random sampling technique was used. A WHOQOL-BREF, a 26-item questionnaire, was used to measure the outcome variable. The data was coded and entered in the Epi Data entry form, and then exported into SPSS version 23 for analysis. A binary logistic regression with a p-value of < 0.25 was included in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. The next multivariable logistic regression analysis was done, and variables with P-values of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant at a CI of 95%, and AOR was used for the interpretation of the strength of the association of the independent variables. The final model was tested for its goodness of fit using Hosmer and Lemeshow's. Results: The study included a total of 400 individuals with diabetes, giving a response rate of 92.5% and 210 (52.5%) had a good HRQOL. Being male (AOR 4.3, 95%CI: 2.34, 7.95), being married (AOR 3.2, 95%CI: 1.78, 5.79) and being educated (AOR 0.04; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.14) were positively associated with good health related quality of life. Furthermore, absence of diabetic complications (AOR 4.01, 95%CI: 1.94, 8.42), and absence of comorbidity (AOR 5.1; 95%CI: 2.89, 9.02) had positive relationship with good health related quality of life. Conclusion: More than half of adult diabetic patients had a good health-related quality of life. Being male, married, educated and absence of co-morbidity and complications are significantly associated with a good health-related quality of life. Recommendation: The health professional should use a holistic approach to management during follow-up, especially for those patients who have comorbidity, are unmarried, are developing complications, no formal education, to improve their health related quality of life.