Evaluation of quality of life and depression in family caregivers of patients with type 1 diabetes in Iran: A case–control study

Abstract

Objective: Diabetes as a silent epidemic and one of the top four causes of death in the world. This study was designed to evaluate the quality of life and depression in family caregivers of patients with type 1 diabetes in Iran. Methods: The study was case–control study (cases, n = 50; controls, n = 50). The cases consisted of family caregivers of patients with type 1 diabetes who referred to the endocrinology clinic of Kosar Hospital in Semnan in 2020. The controls were a random sample from among family caregivers of non-diabetic patients who had referred to the same center in the same year. Demographic and family variables, the 36-Item Short Form Survey questionnaire, and Beck’s Depression Inventory were used to collect data. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve were used to data analysis in STATA 14. Results: The multivariable logistic regression model showed a significant association between existence of a patient with type 1 diabetes with number of caregivers’ children (odds ratio (OR) = 1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06–2.94), quality of life (OR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.74–0.90), sex (OR = 10.04; 95% CI: 2.29–43.99), and income level of caregivers (OR = 6.49; 95% CI: 1.35–31.08); however, it did not show a significant relationship with depression (OR = 1.02; 95% CI: 0.94–1.10). Conclusion: The quality of life in family caregivers of type 1 diabetics is low and gender, income level, and number of caregivers’ children were the most important factors predicting it. Therefore, psychological interventions to manage stress and improve the quality of life of family caregivers are recommended.