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Diabetic self-care practice and quality of life among diabetes patients in the Hail region of Saudi Arabia


Farhan Alshammari
Arshad Hussain
Kashifullah Khan
Mukhtar Ansari
Norah Bandar Alshammary
Rahaf Saleh Alsaif
Adel Ahmed Alreshidi
Abdulaziz Salamah Alshammari
Bushra Alshammari

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the association between type 2 diabetic patients' adherence to self-care routines, medication use, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).


Methods: This analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted in Hail Region of Saudi Arabia. The sample population comprised 400 men and women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, all above the age of 18 years. A modified Euro QoL-five-dimensional (EQ-5D) health questionnaire was utilized to evaluate self-care habits and their association with health-related quality of life.


Results: Participants' mean age ± standard deviation (SD) was 53 ± 9.4 years, with 50.5 % being female. Non-adherence rates measured were 32.7 % for foot care, smoking (28.2 %), diet (28 %), insulin usage (26.2 %), exercise (23.2 %), and blood sugar monitoring (15.2 %). Mobility challenges were reported in 14.2 % of cases, 26.2 % self-care, 28.2 % everyday activities, 48.2 % pain or discomfort, and 28.2 % anxiety or depression. Significant associations occurred between poor foot care and mobility difficulties (58.2 %), impairment in everyday activities (53.7 %), and experiencing pain and discomfort (63.9 %) with p-values of 0.002, 0.003, and 0.03, respectively. Likewise, significant correlations (p < 0.05) exist between self-care (47.5 %), pain/discomfort (58.7 %), anxiety/depression (31.1 %), and non-adherence to exercise. Regression analysis indicated a positive correlation between respondents' EQ-5D index and oral hypoglycemic agent non-adherence (R2 = 0.25; p = 0.001). A significant relationship exists between EQ-5D index and smoking non-adherence after normalization (p = 0.003; 95 % CI: 0.0001 to 0.0001).


Conclusion: In Hail region of Saudi Arabia, the health-related quality of life for diabetics diminishes as self-care practices are neglected.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996