Quality of Life in Type 1 Diabetic Adolescents in Zahedan (2011)

Quality of life, considered an indication of quality of health care, is an essential part of health care programs for controlling disease. Although the evaluation of quality of life in Iran dates back to 40 years ago, it is yet in its infancy as there is limited data available in this field. The present research deals with the effects of diabetes on the quality of life of adolescents in different areas including the rate of life satisfaction and concern about the future. In this descriptive-analytic research, 100 diabetic adolescents referred to the Zahedan diabetes centre were studied. A 52 item DQOLY questionnaire was used to collect data, which was analyzed using the independent T-test and variance analysis. Results revealed lower scores in adolescents’ responses, their main problem being parent control and the effects of diabetes on their activities. The maximum average score was for adolescents’ satisfaction of life quality (52.6 ± 14.58). The 10-12 year age group was more affected by disease in their personal activities, a difference that was statiscally significant (P=0.004). Statistical tests also showed a significant difference for the average score of the diabetic adolescents in terms of the effect of parents’ education on adolescents’ satisfaction of life quality and parent control (P=0.0001). Results indicated that diabetic children and adolescents have difficulty in their social activities, and they are influenced by parent control, a finding more prominent in 10-12 year olds. It is hence suggested that this age group, especially in the groups with low economic status, must be provided with special care through training, counseling and intervention.