Introduction:

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease influenced by multiple factors, severely impacting patients’ quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe the quality of life in patients with T2DM.

An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on November 14, 2021, and 2022, at the Hospital de Clínicas, Montevideo, Uruguay. Quality of life was assessed using the validated Diabetes-39 questionnaire.

Results:

A total of 101 patients were included (mean age 66 years), with a predominance of females (57.4%). Most patients (79.2%) had comorbidities such as hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, and osteoarthritis. The Diabetes-39 questionnaire showed a global Cronbach’s alpha of 0.95, indicating high internal consistency. Overall quality of life had a median score of 51.3 on a 0–100 scale. The most affected domains were anxiety and worry (27%) and energy and mobility (26.9%). Men showed significantly greater impairment in sexual functioning, with an impact 2.6 times higher than women (p<0.001).

Conclusion:

The impact of T2DM on quality of life is significantly influenced by sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and time since diagnosis. The most affected domains, including anxiety, worry, energy, and mobility, highlight the need for comprehensive interventions addressing not only metabolic control but also psychological and functional conditions. Promoting education, early detection, and management of comorbidities is essential to improve quality of life in this population.

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