Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects 1 in 6 adults in Malaysia, making it one of the leading causes of death. Diabetes complications contribute to physical limitations, psychological distress, and social challenges, making quality of life a key outcome to assess in people with T2D. This study aimed to assess health related quality of life (HRQoL) and identify associated factors among Malaysian adults with T2D.

This interim analysis derived from the Prospective Multi-ethnic Lifestyle, Obesity and Diabetes registry in MalaYsia (MeLODY), an ongoing longitudinal cohort with open urban-based recruitment since July 2025, spanning primary care, specialist services, and tertiary academic center. HRQoL evaluation was conducted with the validated WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, with four domains scored and transformed to a 0–100 scale, higher scores reflecting better HRQoL. Sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, treatments, and biochemical data were collected. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS v.30. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors.

88 participants were included (mean age 62.4 ± 10.8 years; 65.9% male; 26% Malay ethnicity; 45.5% Chinese; 43.2% received tertiary education. 30.7% had young-onset diabetes. Median diabetes duration was 14.3 years, 31.4% were insulin-dependent, and 60.6% had HbA1c (NGSP) >7%. Common comorbidities were dyslipidaemia (80.5%), hypertension (64.8%), ischaemic heart disease (21.2%) and peripheral neuropathy (30.7%). Most participants (78.4%) rated their overall quality of life as good or very good and 52.3% were satisfied with their health. Mean WHOQOL-BREF scores were 71.8±13.5 (physical), 72.3±12.5 (psychological), 69.9±14.8 (social), and 75.8± 12.2 (environmental). In univariate analysis, physical health HRQoL scores were lower among participants with neuropathic pain (B = −8.16, p = 0.008), MASLD (B = −13.76, p = 0.009), and insulin therapy (B = −6.66, p = 0.036), and higher in participants with uncontrolled blood pressure (B = 7.30, p = 0.022) or stroke (B = 13.03, p = 0.034). In multivariable linear regression, only neuropathic pain remained independently associated with lower physical health HRQoL scores (B = −9.00, p = 0.01).

Overall, Malaysian adults withT2D reported good HRQoL and health satisfaction. Neuropathic pain was found to be an independent negative predictor of the physical health HRQoL domain. Early detection and management of neuropathic pain may help preserve physical functioning and improve overall QoL in this population.