Faculty Collaboration Database

Relationship between social determinants of health and quality of life in low income adults with diabetes in Lebanon. Postgrad Med 2023 Mar;135(2):169-178

Date

01/31/2023

Pubmed ID

36714928

DOI

10.1080/00325481.2023.2172283

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85147691709 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   2 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Global rates of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are increasing, with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region having the second highest prevalence in the world. Populations from the MENA region, including Lebanon, are also witnessing massive waves of immigration to the western hemisphere. Limited data exist about how social determinants of health (SDOH) impact outcomes for T2DM in this population. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between SDOH and quality of life (QoL) in Lebanese adults with T2DM.

METHODS: Adults with T2DM (n = 300) were recruited from primary healthcare centers in Lebanon. Demographic characteristics and WHO QoL domains (physical health, psychological wellbeing, social relationships, and environment) were assessed. SDOH included socioeconomic, neighborhood/built environment, and psychosocial variables. Partially and fully adjusted regression models were used to test for associations between SDOH and QoL domains.

RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 60.3 years, 48% were women, 73% were married, and 64% had less than high-school education. Results from the fully adjusted regression models showed that psychosocial (i.e. adverse childhood experiences and depression), socioeconomic (i.e. employment, income, family size, insurance, financial status, and financial independence), and neighborhood/built environment (i.e. transportation, number of rooms in the household, and certain household items) variables were independent correlates of different QoL domains.

CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that psychosocial, socioeconomic, and neighborhood/built environment variables are differentially associated with different QoL domains, suggesting that SDOH factors are strongly associated with quality of life in low-income adults with T2DM in Lebanon.

Author List

Sukkarieh O, Egede LE, Bassil M

Author

Leonard E. Egede MD Center Director, Chief, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Female
Humans
Lebanon
Male
Middle Aged
Poverty
Quality of Life
Social Determinants of Health