Health-Related Quality-of-Life and Diabetes Self-Care Activity in Elderly Patients with Diabetes in Korea

A critical goal in the management of elderly patients with diabetes is to improve their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study aimed to identify the factors affecting HRQOL in elderly Korean patients with diabetes. Participants were 365 elderly patients with diabetes who were treated in a general hospital in Korea. The data were analysed using independent t-tests, Pearson correlations, and stepwise multiple regression. The mean total HRQOL score was 74.77, and HRQOL showed positive correlations with activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and the Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities (SDSA). There was a negative correlation between HRQOL and Short Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS). Lower SGDS scores, higher SDSA scores, and being male were associated with higher HRQOL, with these variables explaining 57.5% of the variance in participants’ HRQOL. Improvement in the HRQOL of elderly patients with diabetes requires the development of interventions for depression, and improvements in methods of diabetes self-care and gender-dependent managerial measures.