The Relationship between Quality of Life, Activity and Participation among People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

The cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between quality of life, activity, and participation in 93 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus at a primary care center. Moderately strong correlations were found between quality of life and leisure/work, outdoor and social activities, but not with domestic activities. Leisure/work, outdoor, and social activities accounted for 18% of the variance in the quality of life variables. In a follow-up model, age, depression, and falls efficacy accounted for another 51% of the variance in total quality of life. Findings provide support for the expansion of occupational therapy’s role in diabetes self-management, to incorporate leisure, social, and community activities and fall risk management interventions.

Keywords:

• Activity
• depression
• falls efficacy
• occupational therapy
• participation
• primary care
• quality of life
• type 2 diabetes

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

About the authors

Karen E. Atler, PhD, OTR/L is Assistant Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Arlene A. Schmid, PhD, OTR/L is Associate Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Tara C. Klinedinst, MS, OTR/L is doctoral student in the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Laura A. Grimm, MS, OTR/L is doctoral student in the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Tasha P. Marchant, PhD, RN is Lifestyle Medicine Educator at the Family Medicine Center, University of Colorado Health System, Fort Collins, CO.

David R. Marchant, MD, MBA is Medical Director of the Family Medicine Center, University of Colorado Health System, Fort Collins, CO.

Matt P. Malcolm, PhD, OTR/L is Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Occupational Therapy Department, Fort Collins, CO.

Additional information

Funding

Financial support was provided by the Program of Research & Scholarly mini-grant, Department of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University