Quality of Life of Diabetic Children in Public Diabetes Specialized Clinics, Khartoum State, Sudan

Abstract

Background: Quality of life assessment can be a good baseline measures to determine the efficacy of health policies that are designed to reduce or eradicate the detrimental disease effect. Aim: This study aimed at assessing the different dimensions of quality of life in children with diabetes including physical, social, emotional and school function. Methods: The study was conducted in Khartoum state - Sudan using a cross sectional design. Data was obtained in 2018 at three outpatient diabetes clinics, using systematic random sampling with sample size of 138 diabetic children aged between 2-18 years, via structured interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data and test the relationship between quality of life and other independent variables: demography ( age, gender, parents’ education, age, residency and occupation), type of diabetes, type of treatment, duration of illness, control of diabetes and insurance status. Results:  The mean age of children was 11.1±3.64 years. Most of them were females 63%. More than half of participants were not covered by any insurance scheme. Those with diabetes reported personal and adverse social effects, poor control; HA1C more than 6.5% in 90% of participants. Mean generic quality of life was 80.03 ± 27 and 80.84 ± 28 p-value =0.73 for parents and children respectively. Conclusion: Diabetes adversely affects the quality of life of diabetic children which is influenced by history of hospitalization. Further studies on Diabetes quality of life are recommended.