Health-Related Quality of Life in Assyrian/Syrian and Swedish-Born Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Aims: To investigate whether there is an association between ethnicity and health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes and to analyze if the association remains after adjusting for possible confounders.
Methodology: A 12-item Short-form Health Survey - SF-12 was used. The associations between health-related quality of life and ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, educational status, BMI and age of onset of diabetes, were evaluated using linear regression analyses (β-coefficient and 95% CI).
Study Design: Cross-sectional.
Place and Duration of Study: This study is based on health-survey conducted among patients with type 2 diabetes on four Primary Health Care Centers in town of Södertälje (Sweden) during 2006-2008.
Results: Assyrians/Syrians reported significantly lower scores on six out of eight dimensions and two component summaries (physical and mental) of quality of life than Swedes (with exception of role limitation due to physical problems and vitality). After adjustment for sex, age, marital status, education, BMI and age of onset of diabetes Assyrians/Syrians scored statistically significant lower bodily pain dimension (β-coefficient = -16.0, 95 % CI = -24.7 – -7.2) and poorer mental health (β-coefficient = -12.1, 95% CI = -18.5 – -5.7) than Swedes.
Conclusions: The present study shows that Assyrian/Syrian patients reported significantly lower health-related quality of life than Swedish-born patients. Measurement of health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes should be included into investigation and could be useful in guiding and evaluation of treatment intervention. The knowledge on self-reported quality of life could prevent early diabetes complications.