Beatrice Nkirote Nkoroi’s scientific contributions

Non-transmittable diseases are becoming a burden in Sub-Saharan Africa due to changing lifestyle habits like smoking, inactivity, and poor diet. Although diabetes was once thought to the affluents-only disease, it is now more commonly seen in low- and middle-income nations like Kenya. The cross-sectional study's goal was to determine socio-demographic and health-related characteristics affiliated to QOL (quality of life) as well as how this condition affected patients with T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus) at Moi County Referral Hospital (MCRH) in Taita-Taveta County. were. The study adopted ADDQOL (audit of diabetes dependent quality of life) tool with 19 items version 2006, no alterations were done, and license number HPR4458 was issued to utilize the tool in this study. The 165 patients were picked using a systematic random sampling method. 127(77percent) of the study's participants had a mean quality of life score concerning diabetes of -1.88, roughly corresponding to "quality of life would be much better in the absence of diabetes" at a score of –2. An average weighted impact score of -4.48, indicated an unfavourable impact on the patients' QOL by diabetes mellitus. Foot ulcers/sores (p=0.005; a OR=7.348) and numbness/pain in hands, legs, or feet (p=0.001; a OR=0.155) were associated to low quality of life. The socio-demographic characteristics were not related to the quality of life. The domain-specific element of "sex life" was considered the most essential and negatively impacted at a weighted impact score of -5.14. Overall, quality of life of T2DM patients in MCRH was low. It is important to focus on the often-overlooked health-related characteristics coupled with the disability adjusted life years of diabetic patients and how they both influence their quality of life

Health-related quality of life is one’s perceived status of life in value systems and cultural settings where they dwell in and in relation to their aspirations, expectations, ideals and fears. Diabetes has always been seen as a disease of affluence but over the years it is increasingly becoming a problem in developing countries. Globally, approximately 1.5 million deaths that occurred in 2012 due to diabetes, 80% of the deaths occurred in the developing nations. There is an increasing problem of non-transmittable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa region which has brought a change in lifestyles like smoking, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. Such non-communicable diseases include cardiovascular diseases, neuropathies & renal disorders which are commonly associated as the complications for diabetes mellitus. Measuring the extent an illness has affected health is of significance to the care and management of those individuals with chronic diseases whose remedy is not likely and since they require long-term management and care. Quality of life has a multivariate approach as it highlights information on bodily health, emotional health, functional and social health spheres of an individual's view of the extent their health has been affected. This measure, therefore, provides holistic care for an individual with diabetes mellitus. This study seeks to solely look at how the wellness of individuals with diabetes mellitus is affected. The research adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design. 165 respondents were selected through systematic random sampling. The researcher used logistic regression whereby patient’s characteristics like foot problem (aOR7.348; p=0.005) and numbness/pain in hands/legs/feet (aOR=0.155; p<0.001) were associated with low quality of life. Over half of the study participants 127 (77%) indicated that their health-related quality of life would be better without diabetes mellitus as depicted by a diabetes specific QoL mean score of-1.88 approximating to “much better” (-2). The overall mean ADDQoL AWI score (-4.48) indicated that the health-related quality of life of the patients was negatively impaired by type two diabetes mellitus. Among the 19 domain specific items, the study participants rated “sex life” as the most negatively impacted/ important (WI= -5.14). In conclusion, type two diabetes mellitus negatively affected the quality of life and diabetes neuropathy which featured as foot problem and numbness of hands/feet needs to be considered as a predisposing factor to low quality of life in diabetics. Care provided should go beyond the standard treatment that looks into how treatment, lifestyle & behavioral modifications affect daily functioning and well-being of patients thus focusing more on the individual patient’s context and ultimately improving the health-related quality of life of type two diabetes mellitus patients.