Self-assessed health

Quality of life of people with diabetes

Quality of life has no agreed definition, but it reflects the perceived level of physical and social functioning as well as mental health and is recognised as an important component of health (Department of Health 2021). Diabetes is not only associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but also decreased quality of life. Diabetes-related complications further reduce quality of life compared to people without complications and the degree of impairment is related to the number and severity of complications (Tapp et al. 2006).

Self-assessed health was assessed using pooled self-reported data on long-term health conditions from the ABS 2014–15 and 2017–18 National Health Surveys to obtain populations living with and without diabetes (AIHW analysis of ABS 2016 and ABS 2019).

Adults aged 18 and over living with diabetes in the 2014–15 and 2017–18 National Health Surveys were more likely to rate their health as fair/poor compared with adults without diabetes (37% and 13%, respectively).