Health-related quality of life among children with type 1 diabetes in Saudi Arabia

Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at a very challenging situation; they are required to deal with a demanding daily treatment while conscious of possible complications. Data on quality of life (QoL) among children with T1D in Saudi Arabia is lacking. The objective of the current study was to assess QoL and disease-specific challenges among children with T1D. We conducted a cross-sectional study among mothers of children 6–12 years with T1D. Mothers who brought their children to one of three identified outpatient clinics in Riyadh between September and October 2007 were asked to fill a study questionnaire. A transformed score (percent) was calculated for each domain. A total of 140 mothers completed the study. The studied children were 9.7 ± 2.1 years old and were on average 3.8 ± 2.5 years after diabetes diagnosis. About 53.6 % were females. The scores of different domains in decreasing order were as follows: school cooperation (86.1 %), psychosocial status (84.1 %), activity (74.0 %), aspects of mother education (73.8 %), medical and emergency care (68.2 %), aspects of child education (54.7 %), diet (41.9 %), and organizational and social support (22.3 %). Finding suitable diet and better activity were associated with higher family income. Better support was associated with longer diabetic years while better care was associated with older age. We are reporting generally good QoL in multiple domains among children 6–12 years with T1D. Major challenges were observed in finding a suitable food, receiving social and organizational support, and medical and emergency care. The results emphasized the need of better health education.