A cross-sectional study on Diabetes Distress among Type II Diabetes patients attending a Diabetes and Nutrition clinic in a Tertiary Government Hospital, Tripura, India

Abstract

Background

Prevalence of diabetes is rapidly increasing worldwide and due to its chronicity, it poses a significant

psychological burden on the patients, in the form of diabetes distress. However, this distress can be prevented

by approaching it with early detection and proper counseling. The present study aims to find out the

proportion of distress among diabetes patients, attending the Diabetes and Nutrition Clinics of Agartala

Government Medical College, in Tripura.

Materials & methods

This descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted in West Tripura district during the year

2018-2020, including a total of 300 diabetics. Diabetes Distress Scale-17 was used to assess the distress. Data

was analysed in statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21.0.

Results

In the present study, mean age of the study participants was 53.48 years( ± SD 10.33 years). 55% of the subjects

were female, 57.67% were from urban areas, 80.33% married, 48.33% housewives, 27% were illiterate, and

30.67% were from middle socio-economic status (SES).The proportion of high, moderate and little or no

diabetes related distress among the subjects were 17.33%, 40.34% & 42.33% respectively. The factors

significantly associated with moderate to high diabetes distress were sex (female, p= 0.003) community

(Other Backward Classes, p= 0.023), education (illiterates, p= 0.003), occupation (housewives, p=0.000) and

marital status (married, p= 0.019). On multiple regression analysis only occupation (housewives, p=0.005) was

found to have significant effect.

Conclusion: This study indicates the need for routine screening and timely diagnosis of diabetes distress so

that psychological counseling can be effective.

Keywords: Diabetes Distress, DDS-17, Type II diabetes