ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Diabetes distress and depression have been shown to be prevalent among adolescents with type 1 diabetes and screening for these parameters should be a routine part of diabetes care. To assess the prevalence of diabetes distress and depression and their association with glycemic control in a sample of adolescents with type 1 diabetes attending a diabetes center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. All adolescents aged 13 to 18 years with type 1 diabetes that were seeking treatment at the Dubai Diabetes Center from the period of September 1, 2018 to May 1, 2019. A total of 72 participants completed the study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Adolescents were asked to fill in questionnaires assessing diabetes distress and depression. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between the subsets of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and the scores of the questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean HbA1c of the study sample was 9.61% [82 mmol/mol] with higher levels found in females as compared with males (p<0.05). Females showed significantly greater levels of distress as compared with males. Although adolescents with HbA1c≥7.5% scored higher for diabetes distress and depression, the difference was not statistically significant to those with an HbA1c of <7.5%. Higher levels of diabetes distress were highly correlated with depressive symptoms, with distress and depression both being significant predictors of one another. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the importance of implementing and sustaining psycho-educational interventions to aid in alleviating diabetes distress and depression in this subgroup of the population.
