Diabetes Distress and Associations With Demographic and Clinical Variables: A Nationwide Population-Based Registry Study of 10,186 Adults With Type 1 Diabetes in Norway

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Ingvild Hernar
  • John G. Cooper
  • Roy M. Nilsen
  • Skinner, Timothy
  • Ragnhild B. Strandberg
  • Marjolein M. Iversen
  • Marit Graue
  • Tony Ernes
  • Karianne F. Løvaas
  • Tone V. Madsen
  • Silje S. Lie
  • David A. Richards
  • Grethe Ueland
  • Anne Haugstvedt

OBJECTIVE To estimate diabetes distress prevalence and associations with demographic and clinical variables among adults with type 1 diabetes in Norway. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this nationwide population-based registry study, the 20-item Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID-20) questionnaire was sent to 16,255 adults with type 1 diabetes. Linear regression models examined associations of demographic and clinical variables with distress. RESULTS In total, 10,186 individuals (62.7%) completed the PAID-20, with a mean score of 25.4 (SD 18.4) and 21.7% reporting high distress. Respondents endorsed worrying about the future and complications as the most problematic item (23.0%). Female sex, younger age, non-European origin, primary education only, unemployment, smoking, continuous glucose monitoring use, more symptomatic hypoglycemia, reduced foot sensitivity, treated retinopathy, and higher HbA1c were associated with higher distress. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes distress is common among adults with type 1 diabetes and associated with clinically relevant factors, underlining that regular care should include efforts to identify and address distress.

Original languageEnglish
JournalDiabetes Care
Volume47
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)126-131
Number of pages6
ISSN0149-5992
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2024

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding. This study was funded by the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, the Norwegian Nursing Association, and grant F-12610 from the Western Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Vest). Duality of Interest. No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported. Author Contributions. I.H. wrote the initial draft of the manuscript, with assistance from J.G.C., R.M.N., T.C.S., R.B.S., M.M.I., M.G., K.F.L., T.V.M., S.S.L., D.A.R., G.Å.U., and A.H. I.H. and A.H. designed the study, with input from R.M.N., T.C.S., R.B.S., M.M.I., and M.G. I.H. and T.E.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the American Diabetes Association.

ID: 384729509