Health-related quality of life and health preference of Chinese patients with diabetes mellitus managed in primary care and secondary care setting: decrements associated with individual complication and number of complications

Fangfang Jiao; Carlos King Ho Wong; Rita Gangwani; Kathryn Choon Beng Tan; Sydney Chi Wai Tang; Cindy Lo Kuen Lam

doi:10.1186/s12955-017-0699-4

Health-related quality of life and health preference of Chinese patients with diabetes mellitus managed in primary care and secondary care setting: decrements associated with individual complication and number of complications

Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017 Jun 13;15(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s12955-017-0699-4.

Authors

Fangfang Jiao¹, Carlos King Ho Wong², Rita Gangwani³, Kathryn Choon Beng Tan⁴, Sydney Chi Wai Tang⁴, Cindy Lo Kuen Lam²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3/F, Ap Lei Chau Clinic, 161 Ap Lei Chau Main Street, Ap Lei Chau, Hong Kong, Hong Kong. francesj@connect.hku.hk.
² Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3/F, Ap Lei Chau Clinic, 161 Ap Lei Chau Main Street, Ap Lei Chau, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Level 3 Block B Cyberport 4, 100 Cyberport Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Abstract

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health preference of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are essential in health economic evaluations but data on Chinese population is rare. This study aims to evaluate HRQoL and health preference of diabetic patients with different diabetic complications in Chinese population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1275 patients with DM, including 518 subjects with various DM-related complications. HRQoL and health preference were estimated using SF-12 and SF-6D questionnaires, respectively. Disease status of DM and complications were identified from documented clinical diagnosis. Multivariable regression was used to investigate the effects of specific complications on HRQoL and health preference, adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical parameters.

Results: The presence of any diabetic complication was associated with lower physical component summary (-3.81 points, P < 0.01), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) showed greatest reduction (-7.05 points, P < 0.01). Mental component summary and mental health (MH) scores were not decreased in any of the diabetic complications. The health preference score for diabetic subjects without complications was 0.882 (95% CI, 0.778 to 0.989). The reductions of health preference score were significant for stroke (-0.042, 95% CI -0.072 to -0.012), ESRD (-0.055, 95% CI -0.093 to -0.017), and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) (-0.043, 95% CI -0.075 to -0.010), while heart disease had an insignificant reduction (-0.017, 95% CI -0.042 to 0.008).

Conclusions: The presence of any of the four major diabetic complications (heart disease, stroke, ESRD and STDR) was associated with lower HRQoL and health preference scores. Findings of this study facilitated the cost-effectiveness studies of alternative management strategies for prevention of diabetic complications in Chinese population.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Health preference; Health-related quality of life; Heart disease; Microvascular complications; Stroke.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diabetes Complications / psychology*
Female
Hong Kong
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Primary Health Care
Quality of Life / psychology*
Secondary Care
Surveys and Questionnaires