Diabetes mellitus patients' family caregivers' subjective quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the subjective quality of life (QOL) of family caregivers of Sudanese type-1 and type-2 diabetic outpatients, using the WHO 26-item QOL instrument, compared with a general population sample; and to examine the factors associated with caregiver QOL.


METHODS
Responses of caregivers of 105 outpatients with type-1 diabetes and 135 with type-2 diabetes were compared with 139 general population subjects.


RESULTS
Caregivers were satisfied with the content of items related to general social supports. Type-1 caregivers had significantly lower QOL scores than type-2 caregivers and the general population. Parents and siblings had lowest scores compared with other family groups. Caregivers scored higher than patients. Patients' age and duration of illness, and caregivers' education, marital status and state of health were positively associated with caregiver QOL. Caregivers' QOL was predicted by their appraisal of patients' QOL.


CONCLUSIONS
Caregivers who were sick, younger, single, less educated and caring for patients with more recent illness appeared relatively vulnerable. Clinicians should be interested in the dynamics of the family caregiving situation--as it impacts QOL--and in promoting caregiver awareness of diabetes in order to enhance the caregiving role, quality of care and QOL.
Awadalla
Abdel W
AW
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat.
Ohaeri
Jude U
JU
Al-Awadi
Shafika A
SA
Tawfiq
Adel M
AM
D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000451:nursing; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000451:nursing; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D013397:Sudan; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires