Diabetes, A Culprit Against Quality of Life?

Abstract

Quality of life (QoL) is a very contemporary domain of modern health care practices. Though it has no clear or concise definition, its impact of it is huge for an individual living with diabetes mellitus. Yet, the mention of QoL is restricted to majorly four common domains, such as physical, psychological, social, and environmental, which excludes the major areas that lead to poor QoL among diabetic individuals in rural India, such as, indefinite food restriction and seclusion from the family dining menu or isolation from festivals largely focused on food. Work and role limitation in the Indian setting is also a prevalent precursor to poor QoL, for example, the consciousness of frequent bathroom visits due to polyuria, unaffordability of proper storage of insulin in the workplace, and increased absenteeism for doctor visits. The focus on the vague ideas of QoL needs to be changed towards more individualistic, as it is a subjective measure. Nonetheless, the assessment of QoL is non-existent in the treatment protocols of diabetes in rural India, mostly because of the non-availability of specialized institutions, resources, and services. Moreover, as diabetes is a silent disease, the effects of self-care are not immediate, even though, long-term benefits have been proven, leading to poor motivation added to inaccessibility of healthcare services, creating an environment for detrimental quality of life. Thus, an individualist approach toward QoL is warranted along with mandatory evaluation of QoL in every area of the diabetic therapeutic regime.