An assessment of the vision-related quality of life among adult patients with diabetes mellitus in Accra, Ghana

To assess the overall vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) of adults with diabetes mellitus attending selected diabetic and eye care facilities in Accra, Ghana. This was a hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study which took place from January to July 2023. A purposive consecutive sampling technique was used to select 150 participants. A questionnaire consisting of the WHO-PBD/VF20 and EuroQol Five Dimensional Scale instruments was used to obtain information pertaining to the demographic characteristics, vision-related quality of life and health-related quality of life of selected participants. The median participant age was 61.0 years. Participants with diabetic retinopathy had a worse mean overall total VRQoL score (19.4) than those without (79.9) in all domains; general visual functioning, 41.3 vs. 78.7, p = 0.002; general functioning, 15.1 vs. 80.2, p = 0.001; psychosocial, 35.7 vs. 79.3, p = 0.001; and visual symptoms, 24.4 vs. 80.4, p = 0.001. Participants with diabetic retinopathy also had a worse mean overall HRQoL score (17.4) than those without (81.0) in all domains; mobility, 32.4 vs. 79.6, p = 0.001; self-care, 53.9 vs. 77.6, p = 0.001; usual activities, 30.2 vs. 79.8, p = 0.001; pain/discomfort, 36.3 vs. 79.2, p = 0.001; and anxiety, 31.5 vs. 79.7, p = 0.001. Our findings suggest a significant deterioration in both vision-related and health-related quality of life with the development of diabetic retinopathy. They highlight the need for nationwide screening programs to identify people with diabetes mellitus, as well as effective glycemic control to prevent the development of complications such as diabetic retinopathy.