Quality of life in older patients with diabetes type 2 living in Iraq

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the quality of life of elderly people with type 2 diabetes living in Iraq, in 12 governorates out of a total of 18. Method: The descriptive study consisted of 555 elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes. The study was conducted in 12 provinces of Iraq between July 28 and September 28, 2022. A questionnaire including sociodemographic and lifestyle data and Quality of Life Scale Iraqi Diabetes Mellitus Patients (QOLSID) were used. Results: In this study, it was found that the quality of life (QOL) of elderly people in Iraq with type 2 diabetes is poor. There was high quality of life in participants who were between the ages of 65 and 69, male, married, and employed, who had graduated from high school, had no other chronic diseases, lived with their family, had a good HbA1C level, had been diagnosed at most within 2 years, who went to the doctor once in three months, who were treated only with a diet, who walked regularly and who ate sugary foods once every two days. The highest score for quality of life scale among study participants was 31, the lowest score 6, and the mean score 17.39 ± 4.30. Conclusion: Since the quality of life level of the whole sample was poor, it was concluded that the cut-off value of the quality of life scale should be recalculated with subsequent studies.