Abstract

AIM To improve the HRQOL of type 2 diabetes patients with health education and identify factors which may be associated with the QOL to decrease the complications of them. METHODS the subjects in the present study were type 2 diabetes patients with range 25-75 years old. Hundred and twenty individuals were randomly selected from the list of the referee patients of the Diabetic Research patients of Yazd. They were divided into two groups: case group (60 persons) and control group (60 persons). The health related quality of life was measured with SF-20 questionnaire. The education as intervention factor was performed using face-to-face and group teaching methods to case group. All data which were collected before and after intervention (two months after education) were transferred directly into SPSS. For data analysis, Chi-square, t test were used. RESULTS the mean duration of diabetes of patients was 9.87 (SD=7.2) years. As much as 8.3% patients managed diabetes by diet only, while 84.4% and 7.3% were taking oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin respectively. About 72.4% of patients had neuropathy, and 66% retinopathy. Intervention caused an increase in scores of the six dimensions and QOL of case group after intervention. There was significant difference between the scores of four dimensions of SF-20 and QOL of case and control groups after intervention (P= 0.000-0.007). CONCLUSION Diabetes requires the patients to self-manage their disease and is a lifetime struggle to maintain and increase QOL. Treatment plans that inherently improve or include strategies to enhance patients' QOL may increase compliance, thereby improving these patients' metabolic status.