Quality of Life among Sample of Children and Teenagers with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Holy City of Karbala/Iraq 2019

Background: Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM)is one of the most widely seen chronic disease in child hood and its prevalence rate till age of 18 is approximately one in every 300 and its late complications responsible for reduced life expectancy and major health coasts. Aims: To assess the quality of life (QOL) among children and teenagers with T1DM and its determinants and to compare their QOL to that of healthy peers. Subjects and Method: A case-control study was carried out in Al Imam Hussain Medical City in Holy Kerbala / Iraq. The sample size included 164 diabetic child as case group and 330 healthy child as a control group. The participants were selected by consecutive convenience sampling technique; the information were collected by using specific questionnaire through direct interview with the participants. The study was performed during the period from 1st of December 2018 to 31^th of August 2019. Results: There were a significant difference in each domain and in all quality of life between the study groups; In addition to that there was a significant association between QOL of diabetic children and certain variables like gender, birth order, number of siblings and paternal education. The study also concluded a negative correlation between the age of the child and QOL there is no significant association between QOL and residence or economic state. Conclusion: Iraqi children and teenagers with T1DM who live in Kerbala governorate and aged between 5-18 year had poorer QOL than healthy peers. The QOL is associated in all or some domains with certain factors and not associated with others.