Health‐Related Quality of Life and Its Associated Factors Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross‐Sectional Study in Ghana

Background Research indicates that individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) tend to experience a lower quality of life (QoL). However, there is paucity of data regarding health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among T2DM patients within the Ghanaian population. We assessed HRQOL and its associated factors among T2DM patients in Ghana. Method This cross‐sectional study recruited 397 T2DM patients from Aniniwah Medical Center, Kumasi. A structured questionnaire including the 26‐item WHOQOL‐BREF was used to collect sociodemographic information and assess HRQOL. The chi‐square test was used to determine the association between study variables and HRQOL. Moreover, binary logistics regression was used to evaluate the independent predictors of good HRQOL. Results Majority of the participants were aged over 60 years (44.6%) and were females (54.2%). The overall HRQOL mean score was 59.8 ± 9.6, with 50.6% of participants having good QoL. The mean scores for physical health, social relationship, environmental domain, and physiological domain were 63.9 ± 11.5, 59.8 ± 16.7, 60.6 ± 13.7, and 63.8 ± 12.0, respectively. Having no formal education [(aOR = 0.40, 95% CI (1.77–0.92), p = 0.031)], earning below GH₵ 500 [(aOR 0.24, 95% CI (0.10–0.55), p = 0.001)], or GH₵ 500–1000 [(aOR = 0.29, 95% CI (0.15–0.56), p < 0.001)], and having diabetes for over 15 years [(aOR = 0.20, 95% CI (0.08–0.53), p = 0.001)] were the factors significantly associated with lower chances of having good HRQOL. Conclusion About half of the T2DM patients experienced poor HRQOL, with the social domain showing the lowest mean score. Lack of formal education, low income, and a prolonged duration of diabetes were associated with a lower likelihood of good HRQOL. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing socioeconomic and educational disparities to improve the overall QoL for T2DM patients.