Objective: This study aimed to identify the differences in health-related quality of life between elderly men and women with diabetes in Korea.

Methods: Health-related quality of life was measured using the Korean version of the EQ-5D (EuroQol 5-dimension). Using a descriptive study, this study incorporated a secondary analysis of the Korean version of the EQ-5D data from the 10th wave of the Korea Health Panel Survey in 2015.

Results: Total 1011 patients (aged ≥65 years), including 446 men and 565 women. The elderly Korean men with diabetes scored significantly higher on their quality of life than the elderly women with diabetes (t=-6.083, p=.000). The elderly women with diabetes had more problems in all EuroQol ED-5Q dimensions than did the elderly Korean men with diabetes. Subjective health status (t=-5.063, p=.000) and peer-to-peer health status (t=-5.073, p=.000) were also perceived to be worse among women compared with those among men. There were significant differences in education (X2=232.888, p=.000), marital status (X2=123.090, p=.000), economic activity (X2=185.585, p=.000), drinking status (X2=106.444, p=.000), physical activity (X2=35.581, p=.000), and visual acuity (X2=7.024, p=.030) among the elderly men and women with diabetes.

Conclusion: Based on these results, there is a need for specific health care programs targeting elderly women with diabetes that may help improve their health-related quality of life.

Disclosure

H. Kang: None.

© 2019 by the American Diabetes Association.
2019
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