A historical cohort study assessing the effect of diabetes on the quality of life of patients

Abstract Backgraound: In view of the increasing prevalence of diabetes, and the absence of a previous survey in the study population, the present study was done to assess the quality of life in diabetic patients. Two groups of diabetic (n=101) and healthy (n=123) subjects matched according to age, gender, educational status, social class, occupation and marital status were recruited for this historical cohort study. The level of quality of life was measured using SF-36 scale. Data was collected by a trained expert through face-to-face interview carried out in uninterrupted and peaceful surroundings. Parametric (t-test) and non-parametric (Mann-Whitney U) tests were used to compare groups. The cohort under study consisting of 224 people in two different groups of patients and healthy people was statistically similar in the baseline variables including age, gender, educational status, social class, occupation and marital status. Proportion of people with undesirable quality of life among the patients group was significantly greater than controls. Relative risk for reporting undesirable quality of life was significantly increased, (7.1 times, 95%CI= 3.8-13.4) in diabetic patients as compared to healthy subjects. Our findings show that diabetes has an adverse effect on the quality of life. These findings underscore the need for goal-directed interventions to improve the quality of life in diabetic patients.