Quality of life and type 1 diabetes: a study assessing patients’ perceptions and self-management needs

Figures & data

Table 1 Questions included in the open interview

Question 1	Do you think that diabetes has changed your life? If so, how?
Question 2	What worries you most about your diabetes in the long run?
Question 3	Which part of diabetes treatment is most difficult?
Question 4	Do you feel free when you eat? Do you eat what you like and when you like? If not, then why not? Do you avoid injecting more insulin than what is prescribed by your endocrinologist? Do you avoid eating snacks to avoid extra insulin?
Question 5	Do you feel happy with the way you manage your diabetes?
Question 6	Define what you consider quality of life in relation to diabetes. What is quality of life living with this disease?
Question 7	Do you think that you need more knowledge about the disease? In what area? Are you ready to be trained?
Question 8	Have you experienced or do you experience restrictions for having diabetes? Which? Why are they restrictions? Who has imposed them on you? Have you concealed your diabetes any time to make things easier?

Table 2 Patients’ characteristics

Sex, male (%) (N=100)	55
Age (years), mean (SE) (N=100)	31.4 (11.6)
Duration of T1D, mean (SE) (N=100)	14.2 (9.3)
Level of education (%) (N=100)
Primary education	32
Secondary education	42
University education	25
Treatment (%) (N=100)
Multiple insulin injections	95
Pump treatment	5
HbA1c (most recent 1–2 weeks before the appointment), mean (SE) (N=100)	8.5%±1.9% (69±20.8 mmol/mol)
HbA1c (4–6 months earlier) (median [range]) (N=97)	8.0 (5.3–19)% (64 [34–184] mmol/mol)
At least one associated cardiovascular risk factor (%) (N=100)	33
Drug treatment for depression or anxiety (%) (N=100)	11
Complications (%) (N=100)	30
Retinopathy	30
Nonproliferative	16
Proliferative	13
Macular edema	1
Nephropathy	14
Microalbuminuria	6
Proteinuria	3
Renal failure – stages 1–4	4
Hemodialysis	1
Treatment of retinopathy (%) (N=100)
Laser-treated	5
Vitrectomized or with vitreous hemorrhage	8
Severity of complications (%) (N=100)
Mild–moderate	21
Severe	9

Abbreviations: SE, standard error; T1D, type 1 diabetes; HbA_1c, glycated hemoglobin.

Table 3 Results obtained in the standardized questionnaires

	Average	SD	Lowest	Highest	Scale
Quality of life total (EsDQoL)	94.6	22.9	50	167	43–215
Satisfaction	35.5	9.6	18	69	15–75
Impact	34.9	9.5	18	69	16–80
Social/vocational concerns	14.0	4.9	7	26	9–45
Worries about diabetes	10.0	3.5	4	20	4–20
Treatment satisfaction	25.7	6.7	8	36	0–36
(DTSQ)

Notes: Higher EsDQoL scores reflect worse QoL, whereas higher DTSQ scores reflect more satisfaction.

Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; EsDQoL, Spanish version of the Diabetes Quality of Life questionnaire; DTSQ, Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Table 4 Bivariate correlations between EsDQoL and its subscale scores and other continuous variables

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1. Satisfaction subscale	–	0.65**	0.47**	0.47**	0.87**	−0.51**	0.30**	0.15	0.18	0.28**
2. Impact subscale		–	0.41**	0.62**	0.88**	−0.42**	0.30**	0.31**	0.04	0.19*
3. Social/vocational concerns subscale			–	0.59**	0.68**	−0.13	0.03	0.04	0.12	0.04
4. Worries of diabetes subscale				–	0.74**	−0.31**	0.23*	0.18	0.06	0.16
5. Quality of life (EsDQoL)					–	−0.46**	0.29**	0.23*	0.13	0.23*
6. Treatment satisfaction						–	−0.13	−0.17	−0.02	−0.08
7. HbA1c (most recent)							–	0.53**	0.04	−0.06
8. HbA1c (4–6 months earlier)								–	−0.07	−0.08
9. Duration of T1D									–	0.48**
10. Age										–

Notes:

* P<0.05.

** P<0.001.

Abbreviations: EsDQoL, Spanish version of the Diabetes Quality of Life questionnaire; T1D, type 1 diabetes; HbA_1c, glycated hemoglobin.

Table 5 Multiple regression analysis of factors influencing quality of life (EsDQoL) in patients with type 1 diabetes

Predictor	B	SE of B	β	t	P	F(df)	Adjusted R^2
Step 1
HbA1c	3.60	1.16	0.29	3.09	0.003	9.57 (1.98)	0.08
Step 2
HbA1c	3.78	1.10	0.31	3.40	0.001	11.07 (2.97)	0.16
Sex	14.29	4.20	0.31	3.39	0.001
Step 3
HbA1c	3.48	1.07	0.28	3.24	0.002	10.75 (3.96)	0.22
Sex	15.52	4.07	0.33	3.80	0.000
Severity of complications	8.92	3.07	0.25	2.90	0.005
Step 4
HbA1c	2.90	1.09	0.24	2.64	0.010	9.35 (4.95)	0.25
Female sex	14.70	4.03	0.32	3.65	0.000
Severity of complications	8.47	3.03	0.24	2.79	0.006
Level of education	-5.40	2.67	-0.18	-2.02	0.046

Abbreviations: EsDQoL, Spanish version of the Diabetes Quality of Life questionnaire; SE, standard error; df, degrees of freedom; HbA_1c, glycated hemoglobin.