Comprehensive Overview of Quality of Life Instruments Used in Studies of Children with Diabetes: A Systematic Mapping Review

Abstract

Background. Quality of life (QoL) is extensively used as an outcome in the studies of children with diabetes. The interest in measuring QoL in relation to clinical treatment and interventions has led to an increase in the development and use of QoL measures. The vast number of available instruments can be a barrier for establishing evidence and can be overwhelming for clinicians and researchers who are interested in measuring QoL of children with diabetes. Aim. As a first step for reaching consensus, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the application of QoL instruments used in children (2–18 years old) with diabetes. Method. A literature search for studies published from inception to January 2022 was conducted in the databases MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), PsycInfo (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), and ERIC (EBSCO). The search strategy combined the key concepts of “quality of life”, “diabetes”, and “children or adolescents”. Studies were found eligible if (1) the population was below 19 years of age; (2) had diabetes mellitus; and (3) a quantitative measure of QoL was used. Results. 3,775 unique articles were retrieved in the literature search and, across 503 articles included for synthesis, 67 QoL instruments were identified. The instruments were classified by i.a. population age, continent, use of pre–post measure, self-report or proxy, and type of diabetes. Conclusion. The extensive number of QoL instruments that are used for children with diabetes constitutes a substantial barrier for establishing evidence in relation to QoL in this research area.