Identifying the Burden and Predictors of Diabetes Distress among Adult Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a psychologically challenging medical condition. Diabetes distress (DD) refers to the unique, often hidden emotional burdens and worries that the patient experiences when managing diabetes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to find the burden and identify the predictors of DD in adult Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and fifty T2DM patients were recruited for this study from the endocrine outpatient department from February to April 2019. DD was measured using the Diabetic Distress Scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of DD was 19.6%. The risk of DD was 4.25 times more in those aged ≤45 years as compared to those aged >45 years. Patients with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) >8% had 8.8 times more DD. Patients on insulin had more DD (5.4 times) as compared to patients who were on oral antidiabetic drugs. Patients with a history of treatment interruption had 11 times more risk of DD as compared to patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS: DD was found to be high among patients aged ≤45 years, illiterates, patients on insulin, patients with a history of treatment interruption, and those with HbA1c >8%. Patients with high DD were found to have higher HbA1c levels.