gms | German Medical Science

19. Deutscher Kongress für Versorgungsforschung

Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung e. V.

30.09. - 01.10.2020, digital

Trajectories of quality of life, activities of daily living and social participation after Diabetes diagnosis – a panel study

Meeting Abstract

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  • Marc Höglinger - Winterthurer Institut für Gesundheitsöknomie, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Winterthur, Schweiz
  • Jürgen Maurer - Lehrstuhl für Gesundheitsökonomie, Universtät Lausanne, Lausanne, Schweiz
  • Simon Seiler - Interfaculty Centre for Educational Research (ICER), Universität Bern, Bern, Schweiz

19. Deutscher Kongress für Versorgungsforschung (DKVF). sine loco [digital], 30.09.-01.10.2020. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2020. Doc20dkvf175

doi: 10.3205/20dkvf175, urn:nbn:de:0183-20dkvf1757

Published: September 25, 2020

© 2020 Höglinger et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Background and current state of (inter)national research: Approximately 8% of Swiss residents aged 55 or over have been diagnosed with diabetes. The course of diabetes and its consequences for the well-being and mobility of sufferers can be heavily influenced by appropriate disease management and lifestyle changes (e.g., better nutrition and more physical activity).

Access to appropriate disease management resources and the motivation to make lifestyle changes, along with coping strategies for disease-related complications and social support, may be unequally distributed. For instance, diabetes patients in a high socioeconomic bracket may be better able to manage their disease than those with a low-income, poor educational background, while those living alone may suffer disproportionately from disease-related complications. Consequently, socioeconomic status may have a strong effect on the quality of life, day-to-day activities, and social participation of diabetes patients.

Research questions and objectives: The aim of our study is to describe trajectories of quality of life, activities of daily living, and social participation using panel fixed-effects models. This way, the causal consequences of diabetes on these important measures of personal well-being and social integration are identified. First results regarding the impact of diabetes on “autonomy of daily living” reveal only a small effect of diabetes in the first 10 years after diagnosis overall. Differences in these trajectories between various social groups such as high vs. low socio-economic status, migration background or not, or living alone or with a partner will be compared.

Methods or hypothesis: We used panel data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to analyze trajectories of quality of life, activities for daily living, and social participation following a diagnosis of diabetes. Our longitudinal study design makes it possible to describe these trajectories for up to 10 years. We also analyzed the moderating impact of factors such as education, wealth, migration experience, age of disease onset, and social integration.

Results/Discussion/Practical implications: Our findings contribute to a better understanding of how social determinants influence the health-related outcomes of diabetes patients and what key factors enable patients aged 55 or over to manage – with varying degrees of success – a chronic condition and retain their quality of life as much as possible. They can also help to identify patients at risk, who may well benefit from targeted care intervention.