QUALITY OF LIFE AND ITS DETERMINANTS AMONG PERSONS WITH DIABETES ATTENDING SECONDARY HEALTH FACILITIES IN IBADAN SOUTH-WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OYO STATE

Abstract

Quality of lite (QOL) issues arc of interest in diabetes management because it describes the ways individual's well being could be affected over time by the interference of diabetes. While previous studies had reported impairment of all domains of QOL among diabetic patients and had associated this most especially with the presence of diabetes complications, not many had focused on the determinants of QOL and perceived social support. Information about the QOL could be used design, implement and evaluate interventions which in turn could improve the QOL of diabetic patients. This study was conducted to assess the QOL of diabetic patients and to determine the factors associated with QOL among diabetic patients attending secondary health facilities in Ibadan South West Local Government. Using a cross-sectional study, a systematic sampling technique was used to select 300 consenting diabetic patients from two secondary health facilities in Ibadan south-west Local Government. A pretested interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, clinical determinants, behavioral determinants, adherence to treatment and perceived social support. The data collection instrument was adapted from WHOQOL-bref questionnaire, multidimensional scale of perceived social support and relevant literatures. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, student t-test, Anova, correlation and multiple linear regression with level of significance set at 0.05. Respondents were diabetic patients which consisted of 15 type I diabetic patients (5%) and 285(95%) type II diabetic patients. Majority of the respondents were in the 61-70 age group and predominantly females (79.9%). Most of the respondents (70.3%) of the patients were married. Primary education was the highest level of education attained by 32.0%. Ages of the respondents were statistically associated with the QOL score in social health domain. (p= -0.166. p= 0.004). Income of the respondents showed a positive correlation and significantly associated with all the domains of QOL (physical-B= 0.127. p=0.028. psychological-p=0.202, p=<0.001;social-[3=0.137, p =0.018 and environmental-P=0.210, p=<0.001). Level of education attained and employment status predicted the QOL score in the psychological domain ((5=0.170, p =0.003) and social domain ((3= -0.121, p =0.036) respectively. Diabetic patients with co-morbidity had lower mean QOL scores compared with those without co-morbidity, there was a significant association between co-morbidity and physical ([3= -0.138, p = 0.017) .psychological domains ((3= - 0.136, p = 0.019).Age at onset of illness had a negative correlation with all the domains ol qualitv ol life and was associated with the environmental domain ((3= -0.124, p =0.032).! here was positive correlation between medication and the psychological domain, which was statistically significant.([3= 0.137. p = 0.018). A positive correlation existed between perceived level of social support and all the domains except for the psychological domain; and significantly predicted the physical (p =<0.001) and environmental health domains. ((3=0.213, p<0.001). Diabetic patients with controlled blood glucose had a higher QOL scores in all domains than patients with uncontrolled blood glucose. Glycemic control is an important determinant of QOL in diabetic patients, therefore measures to ensure glycemic control should be encouraged in clinical management of diabetes.