The influence of quality of life in treatment adherence of diabetic patients: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To verify the influence of quality of life in treatment adherence of patients with diabetes mellitus. Method: Systematic review of the literature using the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, LILACS, SciELO and Web of Science with studies published between 2003 and 2014 in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Results: Six studies were included in the review, three were identified as having better quality of life scores, being related to better adherence to diabetes treatment measured by glycated hemoglobin or characteristics related to diet, exercise, use of medication and foot care. No association was found between quality of life and adherence in two investigations and a study found a negative association between these variables. Conclusion: There is causal relationship between quality of life and adherence with diabetes treatment. It is suggested that psychosocial aspects of patients should be considered by health professionals in the search for better clinical outcomes in diabetes care.