A BSTRACT Context: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasingly prevalent and associated with complications worldwide, negatively impacting the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of affected people. Aim: To analyze the factors associated with HRQoL components in people with diabetes registered in primary healthcare. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among people aged 18 years or older with type-2 DM registered in Family Health Strategy units. Materials and Methods: The dependent variable of the study was HRQoL and its components, as assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Statistical Analysis Used: An ordinal hierarchical multivariate regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence level. Results: Findings indicate that the physical functioning component was the most affected (median <50 points). Factors associated with overall HRQoL in people with DM included: Stress (OR: 2.22), anxiety (OR: 1.77), insomnia (OR: 1.80), and depression (OR: 2.22). The physical functioning component was also associated with female gender (OR: 1.86) and lower educational level (OR: 1.71). Other factors influenced the remaining HRQoL components, such as polypharmacy and the presence of comorbidities (respiratory and genitourinary diseases). Conclusions: These data are important for rethinking health prevention strategies in primary care, taking into account the factors that influence different HRQoL components in people with DM.
Portilho et al. (Sun,) studied this question.