Health-Related Quality of Life in Algerian Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: the present cross-sectional observational study aimed to evaluate the health-related quality of life and check for the relationship between depression and glycemia among patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Methods: twenty-six diabetic patients, eight males and eighteen females of broad-range ages (18-73 years old) admitted for consultation with their treating physicians were recruited over five months (December 2018 to April 2019). After filling out a sociodemographic datasheet, patients were introduced to two questionnaires, namely the Short Form-36 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Glycemic measures were obtained from a timely medical check-up upon arrival of nine patients for consultation.

Results: categorical analysis showed that age significantly affects pain sensitivity and general health status, while educational level significantly interferes with patients’ physical role limitations, general health status, and health change. Rates of mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression were 50%, 15.38%, 19.23%, and 15.38%, respectively. However, no significant association was found between the sociodemographic variable and this mood disorder. A strong, positive correlation (ρ = 0.866) was uncovered between depression and glycemic values, as represented by mild and moderate levels. This correlation falls within the acceptable range of reliability (Cronbach’s alpha value = 0.66), indicating a pertinent clinical significance.

Conclusions: depending on age and educational grade, diabetic patients are prone to excessive sensitivity to pain, inability to perform the usual physical activity, and inadequate health-state self-perception. Depression appears to occur at different levels of severity in all patients, whose glycemic rates can significantly increase when that mood disorder gets worse over time.