title: Health-related quality of life and glycaemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Singapore.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the health-related quality of life of patients with diabetes mellitus in Singapore and its associations with diabetes-related characteristics and glycaemic control.
  
  
  METHODS
  An interviewer-administered, cross-sectional survey was conducted in a sample of 301 adult diabetes patients under primary care. The survey questionnaire included both a generic health-related quality of life measure, the Euroqol 5-D and a diabetes-specific instrument, the Audit of Diabetes-dependent Quality of Life. Patients' most recent HbA(1c) values were extracted from their medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After excluding patients who lacked the 90-day HbA(1c) test result, the final number of responses analysed was 282. Pain/discomfort was the most common complaint among the five Euroqol 5-D domains (by 28.0% of the respondents). Lack of freedom to eat was the Audit of Diabetes-dependent Quality of Life domain with the greatest negative average weighted impact (= -3.8, on a scale of -9 to 3). A significant association was observed between Audit of Diabetes-dependent Quality of Life average weighted impact and both duration of diabetes and use of insulin. A negative correlation was found between health-related quality of life and HbA(1c) values in both health-related quality of life measures (both r=-0.2, P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with diabetes in primary-care settings frequently reported problems with pain/discomfort and restrictions in diet. Poorer health-related quality of life was found to be associated with higher HbA(1c) values. The chronicity of diabetes and insulin therapy may have a negative impact on patients' diabetes-related health-related quality of life. This study indicates the importance of achieving better disease management to improve the health-related quality of life of patients with diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M P H S
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin