Published in:
01-05-2017 | Original Article
Diabetes-related burden and distress in people with diabetes mellitus at primary care level in Germany
Authors:
N. Kuniss, T. Rechtacek, C. Kloos, U. A. Müller, J. Roth, K. Burghardt, G. Kramer
Published in:
Acta Diabetologica
|
Issue 5/2017
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Abstract
Aims
The importance of diabetes-related distress for the treatment of diabetes is emphasised in national and international guidelines recommending routinely screening for psychosocial problems. Data of investigations regarding diabetes-related distress on primary care are rare in Germany though most people with diabetes are treated without insulin therapy at primary care level.
Methods
Three hundred and forty-five people with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2, n = 336, 229 without and 107 with insulin therapy) and type 1 (DM1, n = 9) were interviewed with the PAID questionnaire in the period from 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2015 in a general practice. A PAID score ≥40 (range 0–100) was considered as high diabetes-related distress.
Results
The mean PAID score of all participants was 3.9 ± 7.0 (DM2 without insulin 2.7 ± 6.3, DM2 with insulin therapy 6.0 ± 8.0, DM1 6.8 ± 4.9) and far below the threshold of 40 points. Only 1.2% of all responders showed high diabetes-related distress (score ≥40). People on insulin therapy with HbA1c >7.5% and with diagnosed depression prior to the study scored significantly higher. Furthermore, there are weak correlations between the PAID score and HbA1c (r = 0.253, p < 0.001), duration of diabetes (r = 0.169, p = 0.002), insulin dosage (r = 0.283, p < 0.001) and age (r = −0.129, p = 0.016).
Conclusions
Only 1.2% of our outpatients with diabetes on primary care level showed high diabetes-related distress. Higher rates in the current literature are probably due to not investigating on primary care level. Guidelines should consider this.