Psychosocial Factor as a Determinant of Quality of Life in Diabetic Patients Attending an Outpatient Clinic in Lagos Nigeria

Aim: The management of Diabetes Mellitus have been referred to as the most demanding of all chronic diseases. Due to this adjustment, patients are often faced with challenges which may confer a negative influence on their quality of life. Various psychosocial factors have been reported to affect the quality of life of patients with diabetes mellitus. The study aimed to determine the relationship between meaning in life, life satisfaction and social support, and quality of life in diabetic patients

Study Design: this is a cross-sectional study of the quality of life in patients with diabetes.

Place and Duration of study: Endocrine unit of Lagos university teaching hospital, Lagos Nigeria. The study was conducted between June and September 2016.

Methods: 239 participants were enrolled through a simple random sampling method, age range was between 25 and 90 years, 131 were male while 108 were female, most of them were married (n=222). Meaning of life scale, life satisfaction scale, Berling social support scale WHO quality of life scale and socio-demographic questionnaire were used in all participants. Data was analysed using a statistical package of social sciences.

Results: Educational level (r= -.148, p=.05), meaning in life (r=-.169, p=.05), life satisfaction (r=.391, p=.05) and social support (r=.276, p=.05) showed significant relationship with quality of life. Meaning in life, life satisfaction, and social support jointly accounted for 42.2% variance in quality of life among patients with diabetes mellitus, while the remaining 57.8% could be attributed to other factors.

Conclusion: The findings from the current study implies that meaning in life, social support, and life satisfaction plays an important role in the general wellbeing of a patient with diabetes mellitus.