TY - JOUR
T1 - Determinants of quality of life in primary care patients with diabetes
T2 - Implications for social workers
AU - Ayalon, Liat
AU - Gross, Revital
AU - Tabenkin, Hava
AU - Porath, Avi
AU - Heymann, Anthony
AU - Porter, Boaz
PY - 2008/8
Y1 - 2008/8
N2 - Using a cross-sectional design of 400 primary care patients with diabetes, the authors evaluated demographics, health status, subjective health and mental health, health behaviors, health beliefs, knowledge of diabetes treatment, satisfaction with medical care, and quality of medical care as potential predictors of QoL and QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes. Those who reported difficulties meeting basic needs, diabetes-related complications, worse subjective health, and dissatisfaction with medical care were more likely to report worse QoL. Those who reported difficulties meeting basic needs, higher cholesterol level, and worse subjective health also were more likely to report better QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes. In addition, diabetes management played a major role in one's QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes: Engaging in stricter diabetes self-care and taking pharmaceutical treatment for managing diabetes were associated with better QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes. Providing psychosocial support geared toward diabetes self-management may improve patients' QoL. When doing so, social workers need to be aware of the potential trade-off between following medical recommendations that advocate for a strict lifestyle and patients' QoL.
AB - Using a cross-sectional design of 400 primary care patients with diabetes, the authors evaluated demographics, health status, subjective health and mental health, health behaviors, health beliefs, knowledge of diabetes treatment, satisfaction with medical care, and quality of medical care as potential predictors of QoL and QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes. Those who reported difficulties meeting basic needs, diabetes-related complications, worse subjective health, and dissatisfaction with medical care were more likely to report worse QoL. Those who reported difficulties meeting basic needs, higher cholesterol level, and worse subjective health also were more likely to report better QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes. In addition, diabetes management played a major role in one's QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes: Engaging in stricter diabetes self-care and taking pharmaceutical treatment for managing diabetes were associated with better QoL in the hypothetical absence of diabetes. Providing psychosocial support geared toward diabetes self-management may improve patients' QoL. When doing so, social workers need to be aware of the potential trade-off between following medical recommendations that advocate for a strict lifestyle and patients' QoL.
KW - Disease management
KW - Illness representations
KW - Patient-physician relationships
KW - Quality of life
KW - Subjective well-being
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=52749098004&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/hsw/33.3.229
DO - 10.1093/hsw/33.3.229
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C2 - 18773798
AN - SCOPUS:52749098004
SN - 0360-7283
VL - 33
SP - 229
EP - 236
JO - Health and Social Work
JF - Health and Social Work
IS - 3
ER -