Factors Influencing the Subjective Health Status of Men with Insulin-treated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Secondary Analysis Using Quantile Regression Analysis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with the subjective health status by level in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving insulin treatments. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis. A total of 120 male outpatients with insulin-treated T2DM completed in a questionnaire from July to November 2019, and results were analyzed using multiple linear and quantile regression to determine factors related to subjective health status. The 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th conditional quantiles were considered with the aim of identifying different factors that contributed to subjective health status. Results: Subjective health status was measured by the EuroQol visual analog scale, and its mean score was 61.29±19.00 points out of 100. Through ordinary least squares analysis, family support, knowledge, self-care, and psychological insulin resistance explained 57.2% of the variance in subjective health status. Through quantile regression analysis, family support and knowledge were identified as factors significantly related factors for all percentiles, and self-care and psychological insulin resistance were the significant factors for the 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the importance of the subjective health status of men with T2DM receiving insulin treatment, especially healthcare professionals looking for more effective intervention methods. Strategies that take into consideration various factors that explain an individual’s subjective health status have the potential to improve patient health.