Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Youth withType 1 Diabetes Living in Eastern and Southern Highlands, Tanzania

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) face many challenges. Little information exists on Quality of Life (QoL) in children and adolescents with T1DM in Tanzania. The objectives of our study were to: 1. Assess the health-related QoL (HR-QoL) in youth with T1DM and compare it to the perception by their parents; 2. Compare the overall QoL of children and adolescents with and without T1DM.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in a convenience sample of children and adolescents with T1DM living in rural Tanzania. HR-QoL was assessed in patients with T1DMand in their parents using translated PedsQL™questionnaires. The general QoL in patients with diabetes and in controls of the same sex and age was compared using the Kid-KINDL® and the Kiddo-KINDL® questionnaires.Findings: Twenty-one patients with T1DM aged 7-13 and 14-17 years were recruited. Overall, patients with T1DM HR-QOL complained “often” or “almost always” about their worries of going “low” (40%) or “high” (33%) and about whether the medical treatment was working (33%). There was no statistical difference in the perception of issues related to diabetes between children/adolescents and their parents. Compared to control children and adolescents, youth with T1DM reported a statistically significant lower QoL in most domains: physical health, overall feeling in general and about themselves, relationships with family and friends, and how they felt about school (p< 0.05). Our results will help Tanzanian health professionals and families to advocate for more resources towards better health education, community programs that address stigma and bias associated with T1DM, greater involvement of the schools and better access to care. Conclusion: T1DM equally affects the QoL of children and adolescents and of their parents. In addition, patients with T1DM have a lower QoL than children and adolescents without T1DM.