Assessing health-related quality of life of people with diabetes in Nigeria using the EQ-5D-5L: a cross-sectional study

Assessing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with diabetes is important to evaluate treatment effectiveness and identify interventions that would be beneficial to the patients. This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to assess the HRQoL of people with diabetes visiting 15 community pharmacies in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and to identify its determinants. The English (Nigeria) version of the EQ-5D-5L was administered to 420 eligible patients between August and September 2021. Data were analyzed with SPSS (IBM version 25.0) and presented descriptively; differences in HRQoL scores were examined using inferential statistics. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Most participants (56.8%) were female; 193 (49.6%) were between the ages of 30 and 49. The median (interquartile range, IQR) for the EQ VAS and EQ-5D-5L index scores, respectively, were 80.0 (65.0–85.0) and 0.77 (0.62–0.90). Most participants reported problems with usual activities (52.7%), pain/discomfort (60.2%), and anxiety/depression (57.6%). The EQ VAS score and EQ-5D-5L utility index were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with respondents' age, marital status, work status, and personal monthly income. The HRQoL of participants was relatively high. Nevertheless, implementing strategies aimed at pain management and providing psychological support for people with diabetes in Nigeria may improve their HRQoL.