Quality-of-Life and Utility Values Associated With Diabetic Retinopathy in Tanzania.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Health Economics

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of vision loss in diabetic populations globally.
• Estimating the impact of DR on quality of life is essential for healthcare planning and economic evaluations.
• Tanzania faces a significant burden of diabetes and its complications, including DR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify health-related quality of life, health state utility values, and vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) across different stages of DR.
• To provide data for economic evaluations concerning DR interventions in a Tanzanian context.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 278 diabetic adults in Tanzania.
• Assessment of health status using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level questionnaire for utility values.
• Evaluation of VRQoL using a standardized questionnaire, with multivariable regression analysis.

Main Results:

• Mean utility values decreased with increasing DR severity, from 0.75 (no DR) to 0.23 (blindness from DR).
• Vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) scores significantly worsened with advancing stages of DR (P < .0001).
• Blindness due to DR was associated with substantially lower utility values compared to no DR.

Conclusions:

• This study provides crucial utility value estimates for various DR stages in Tanzania, valuable for economic analyses.
• The findings underscore the severe impact of DR-induced blindness on quality of life.
• Emphasizes the critical need for early detection and timely treatment of sight-threatening DR to mitigate long-term consequences.