Abstract:
Aim
The aim was to investigate quality of life in a group of diabetic patients and to make a
comparison with a group of non-diabetes people living in the same area.
Method
Sixty-eight adult diabetic patients attending four diabetes clinics in Dar es Salaam region
were compared with sixty adult people not having diabetes. This control group included
student nurses and hospital workers employed at Muhimbili National Hospital and three
district hospitals. All respondents filled in the generic health related quality of life
questionnaire SF-36, the Swahili version. They also answered two open questions,
namely "what is the definition of quality of life" and "what does quality of life mean to
you."
Results
Diabetic patients reported poorer health in all eight SF-36 health domains when.
compared with the group of non-diabetes people. In all but one this difference was
significant. The open question regarding the definition of quality of life showed that
almost half of the answers stated from the diabetic patients were "the satisfaction with
basic needs" while in the control group this was answered by approximately one quarter
of the respondents. The question "what does quality of life mean to you" generated few
answers from the diabetic patients. Anyhow economical factors were mentioned by
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approximately half the group and many related this to that the life then could be better. In
the group of diabetic patients also the demand for more education was expressed.
Conclusion
Diabetic patients seemed to perceive a poorer health measured by the health
questionnaire SF-36 than the group of people not having diabetes.
Furthermore economical factors seemed to have a greater importance in the diabetic
patients, which might be a consequence of that this group of people had to spend much
economical resources to buy anti diabetes drugs and to buy proper food.
Keywords: Quality of life, diabetes, SF-36, diabetes in Tanzania.
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