The Role of Family Support and Its Effect on the Quality of Life of Diabetic Patients in Medan City in 2025

Abstract

Medan City had an increase in the number of diabetes mellitus (DM) patients from 39,980 cases in 2022 to 43,835 cases in 2023, but only 47.76% of diabetic patients visited health facilities. The high number of diabetes mellitus cases that are not followed by treatment is worrying because it can have an impact on reducing the quality of life of diabetic patients. This study aims to determine the role of family support and its effect on the quality of life of diabetic patients in Medan City. The research design used was cross-sectional. The sample consisted of 263 diabetic patients aged 30-60 years who were selected by accidental sampling from seven community health centers with the highest number of DM cases in Medan City. Data analysis was performed using simple logistic regression test. The results showed that family support significantly affected the quality of life of diabetic patients (p<0.001). Diabetic patients with good family support had a lower risk (OR=0.015; 95% CI: 0.006-0.037) of having poor quality of life compared to diabetic patients who received less family support. Families of diabetic patients are suggested to always actively support the treatment and care of diabetic patients, encourage them to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and seek information about diabetes to help them manage the disease.