ABSTRACT
Aims: To investigate whether there is an association between ethnicity and healthrelated quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes and to analyze if the association remains after adjusting for possible confounders. Methodology: A 12-item Short-form Health Survey - SF-12 was used. The associations between health-related quality of life and ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, educational status, BMI and age of onset of diabetes, were evaluated using linear regression analyses (β-coefficient and 95% CI). Study Design: Cross-sectional. Place and Duration of Study: This study is based on health-survey conducted among patients with type 2 diabetes on four Primary Health Care Centers in town of Södertälje (Sweden) during 2006-2008. Results: Assyrians/Syrians reported significantly lower scores on six out of eight dimensions and two component summaries (physical and mental) of quality of life than Swedes (with exception of role limitation due to physical problems and vitality). After adjustment for sex, age, marital status, education, BMI and age of onset of diabetes Assyrians/Syrians scored statistically significant lower bodily pain dimension (β- coefficient = -16.0, 95 % CI = -24.7 – -7.2) and poorer mental health (β-coefficient = - 12.1, 95% CI = -18.5 – -5.7) than Swedes. Conclusions: The present study shows that Assyrian/Syrian patients reported significantly lower health-related quality of life than Swedish-born patients. Measurement of health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes should be included into investigation and could be useful in guiding and evaluation of treatment intervention. The knowledge on self-reported quality of life could prevent early diabetes complications.
ABSTRACT
Three hundred thirty eight latinamerican refugees living in Lund Sweden, 51 that lived in Lund and were repatriated to Chile and 1132 Swedish subjected were interviewed using the survey of the Swedish National Statistics Institute. Data were analyzed using an unconditional logistic regression model, controlling possible confounders. Refugees living in Lund and repatriated to Chile considered their health as bad in a higher proportion than their swedish counterparts, with an odds ratio of 3.48 (2.03-5.66) and 4.78 (2.1-10.25) respectively. Refugees and repatriated subjects had a higher risk of suffering long lasting illneses with odds ratio of 2.84 and 2.64 respectively. It is concluded that there are greater differences in life standards, housing and social relationships between Swedish people, Latinamerican refugees and repatriated individuals