Date of Award

11-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nurs​ing (MSc-APN)​

First Advisor

Dr. Rachel Kimani

Second Advisor

Prof. Sheila Shaibu

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus corresponds with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection and high morbidity and mortality rates. Persons living with diabetes are more likely to encounter psychosocial problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress than the broader population. As the global pandemic unfolded, it was paramount to determine the health-related quality of life (QoL) and explore the experiences of patients with diabetes and COVID-19 to enable healthcare providers to recognize the components influencing HRQoL and identify the interventions to improve the health outcomes. The study was done to determine the health-related quality of life and experiences of patients with diabetes and COVID-19 in two University Teaching Hospitals in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. The quantitative phase determined the HRQoL of patients with diabetes and COVID-19. The qualitative phase gave an extensive understanding of the experiences of these patients. Consecutive sampling was applied to recruit 159 participants for the quantitative phase, while purposeful sampling was applied to recruit participants for the qualitative study. Quantitative data was summarized descriptively, and logistic regression was applied to recognize determinants of HRQoL. Thematic analysis was utilized for qualitative data. One hundred sixteen (116) patients with diabetes and COVID-19 participated, 61 (52.6%) of them male. 77 (66.4%) had good self-rated quality of life. The prevalence of good HRQoL was significantly high among those with tertiary education, good self-assessed health status, non-Africans, and an income above KShs 50,000. Multivariable analysis showed that patients with monthly income above 50000 (aOR: 4.71; 95%CI: 1.38-17.12) were associated with good HRQoL. Four main themes emerged from the qualitative arm. These were Consequences of the pandemic, Infection prevention, Self-management of diabetes, and Coping strategies. HRQoL among patients with diabetes and COVID-19 was moderate in these settings. Improving the socioeconomic characteristics of patients with diabetes will likely improve their HRQoL. Public health policies and economic empowerment strategies should be promoted among these patients.

First Page

1

Last Page

146

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