The impact of new screen-detected and previously known type 2 diabetes on health-related quality of life: a population-based study in Qingdao, China.

Aims: To examine and compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with previously known diabetes, new screen-detected asymptomatic diabetes and people without diabetes. Methods: HRQoL of 4,613 individuals who participated in a population-based cross-sectional diabetes survey in Qingdao, China, in 2009, was assessed using the 15D instrument. A Tobit regression model to estimate the effects of diabetes on HRQoL separate from effects of other health determinants was constructed. Results: Among the surveyed population, 220 (4.8 %) individuals had previously known diabetes and 531 (11.5 %) individuals had new screen-detected diabetes, defined by fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l and/or 2-h plasma glucose ≥11.1 mmol/l. The age-, gender-, and BMI-adjusted mean 15D score of people without diabetes, with new screen-detected diabetes, and previously known diabetes was 0.975, 0.975, and 0.964, respectively, for urban and 0.971, 0.972, and 0.960, respectively, for rural participants. HRQoL overall and on all the dimensions ( p < 0.05) except for hearing, eating, and speech was worse in the people with previously known diabetes compared to those with new screen-detected diabetes and those without diabetes. Compared to people without diabetes, people with new screen-detected diabetes were worse off on the dimension of usual activities ( p < 0.05). After adjusting for comorbid diseases and other confounders, the impact of diabetes on reduced HRQoL was diminished. Conclusion: Health-related quality of life was impaired in people with previously known diabetes who had co-morbid conditions, but was largely unaltered in people with newly detected asymptomatic diabetes as compared to people without diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]