Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life using the EQ-5D-3L in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The daily experience with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has significant adverse effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL assessment is essential for measuring the impact of the disease on the patient and selecting individualized strategies. Generic measures for assessing HRQoL are very useful because, unlike specific measurement instruments, they allow for the comparison with other instruments. The EQ-5D-3L is a generic measure and it describes HRQoL in five dimensions; mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, with three levels each. In Portugal, studies using the EQ-5D-3L as a generic measure to assess HRQoL in diabetic patients are scarce. Objective: To assess HRQoL in individuals with T2DM using the Portuguese version of the EQ-5D-3L. Methodology: An accidental sample of patients with T2DM (n=437) was selected at Family Health Units and healthcare centers in Coimbra, Portugal, between January 2013 and January 2014. The EQ-5D-3L was applied in interviews. The EQ-5D-3L score was calculated based on the answers to the five dimensions and the value system for the Portuguese population. Results: In this sample, 100% of the participants answered the EQ-5D-3L. The HRQoL score was 0.6772 in the EQ-5D-3L and 64.85 in the EQ-VAS. The most frequent answers to the five dimensions were no problems or some problems. The mean score of the EQ-5D-3L was significantly associated with age, male gender, high level of education, having an occupation, practicing physical activity, being single and having been diagnosed with T2DM for less time. The Cronbach alpha's value was 0.674, confirming an acceptable internal consistency. Conclusion: HRQoL levels in individuals with T2DM are lower than the national average and vary depending on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The EQ-5D-3L is a reliable instrument that can be used to assess the quality of life of diabetic patients and contribute to assess the patients' overall health status, adding data from the subjective dimension of self-care management.

Qualidade de vida da pessoa com diabetes mellitus - uma revisão integrativa da literatura

A Diabetes Mellitus é uma doença crónica que interfere em vários aspetos da vida diária da pessoa, podendo afetar a sua Qualidade de Vida, e que pelo aumento da sua incidência e prevalência, representa um problema de Saúde Pública. Surge daí a relevância do seu estudo, tendo como ponto de partida as questões de investigação: "De que forma é que a Diabetes Mellitus interfere na Qualidade de Vida da pessoa?"; "Que intervenções podem ser usadas pelo enfermeiro, na promoção de Qualidade de Vida da pessoa com Diabetes Mellitus?" e como objetivos: Identificar qual a influência da Diabetes Mellitus na Qualidade de Vida da pessoa; Identificar intervenções adotadas pelo enfermeiro, na promoção da Qualidade de Vida na pessoa com Diabetes Mellitus. A pesquisa efetuou-se nas bases de dados Academic Search Complete, CINAHLPlus, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, SciELO, PubMed e RCAAP, com os descritores "quality of life", "diabetes mellitus", "nursing care", "adult", "qualidade de vida" e "diabetes", e utilizada a estratégia P[I][C]OD, sendo selecionados 12 artigos. Evidenciou-se o impacto negativo da Diabetes Mellitus na Qualidade de Vida da pessoa em várias dimensões, bem como variáveis, comorbilidades e complicações associadas, e intervenções fundamentais para ajudar a pessoa a adotar estratégias eficazes no ajustamento à doença.