I. Bourdelmarchasson et al., PREVALENCE OF DIABETES AND EFFECT ON QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN OLDER FRENCH LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY - THE PAQUID EPIDEMIOLOGIC SURVEY, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 45(3), 1997, pp. 295-301
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in older F
rench subjects and to examine the different aspects of quality of life
in an older diabetic population. DESIGN: From a random sample of 2792
people older than age 65 living in the community, a diabetic sample w
as selected using three items from a questionnaire: Are you diabetic!
Are you on a diabetic diet? What kind of medications do you take daily
? Validation of the questionnaire was carried out previously to correc
t the observed prevalence. MEASUREMENTS: The questionnaire assessed so
cial and demographic aspects, physical, mental, and subjective health,
and functional disabilities. Because quality of life assessment was m
ainly subjective, demented subjects were excluded. RESULTS: The diabet
ic group consisted of 237 subjects from the older sample of 2792 (8.5%
). No age difference was demonstrated between the two groups (mean, di
stribution), but the male/female ratio was significantly higher in tho
se with diabetes (49.4% vs 39.3%, P = .003). Corrected prevalence of d
iabetes was 10.3%. After exclusion of demented subjects, 230/2726 peop
le were investigated. Diabetic subjects were heavier (P < .001), had h
igher systolic blood pressure (P < .001), and had more frequent sympto
ms of ischemic heart disease (P < .001) and painful peripheral arteria
l disease (P < .001) and dyspnea (P < .001), but antecedents of stroke
were similar in both groups. Diabetics were more often lacking in aut
onomy according to the IADL Lawton scale (P < .001), Rosow and Breslow
scale (P < .001), and Mobility scale (P=.043), but not according to t
he Katz ADL scale. They more often exhibited symptoms of depression on
the CES-D self-rating scale (21.3% vs 12.7%, P < .001), but evaluatio
n of cognitive function was similar in; both groups. Thirteen percent
of diabetics, compared with 7.6% of nondiabetics, were unsatisfied wit
h their own situation (P = .002). Health was rated as fair, bad, or ve
ry bad by 67.8% of diabetics compared with 49% of non-diabetics (P < .
001). Diabetics rated themselves as feeling worse than others (15.3% v
s 9.2%, P << .001) and worried more about their health status (78% vs
63%, P << .001). CONCLUSION: The observed prevalence of diabetes in ol
der French people living in the community was 8.5%. Quality of life in
older diabetics was poorer than that of other people of the same age.