# Diabetes self-care activities and health-related quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes in Ho, Ghana: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study explores how diabetes self-care activities affect the quality of life of type 2 diabetes patients in Ghana, finding that adherence to medication and diet is higher than other self-care practices.

## Contribution

The study is among the first in Ghana to investigate sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing diabetes self-care and quality of life.

## Key findings

- Patients adhered more to medication and diet than to blood glucose monitoring and foot care.
- Men and those with diabetes education showed higher adherence to self-care activities.
- Diabetes education and monitoring are crucial for improving quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients in Ghana.

## Abstract

Adherence to diabetes self-care activities (DSCA) has been recognised as a major factor to reduce complications and improve the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with diabetes. However, despite the increasing cases of diabetes and its complications in Ghana, there are few or no studies in Ghana that have explored how sociodemographic and clinical factors influence diabetes self-care activities and HRQOL among patients with type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to assess sociodemographic and clinical variables influencing the performance of DSCA and its influence on HRQOL of patients with type 2 diabetes in Ghana.

This is a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted among adults (N=310) with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were accessing healthcare at two public hospitals in Ghana. The performance of DSCA and HRQOL was examined using the summary of the Diabetes Selfcare Activities (DSCA) Questionnaire and the EQ-5D Questionnaire for HRQOL. The differences and associations between the variables were analysed using the chi-square test, multiple ANOVA, t-test, and Tukey’s HSD for post-hoc tests. -based.

The participants were more likely to adhere to medication and a healthy diet and less likely to adhere to self-monitoring of blood glucose levels and foot care. Most patients adhere to medication and diet, but less to foot care and blood glucose monitoring. Men and patients with diabetes education reported higher adherence to self-care activities.

Diabetes education and regular monitoring of diabetes self-care activities are essential to improve HRQOL in patients with type 2 diabetes in Ghana.