A call for inclusion of work-related diabetes distress in the spectrum of diabetes management: Results from a cross-sectional survey among working people with type 1 diabetes

TY - JOUR

T1 - A call for inclusion of work-related diabetes distress in the spectrum of diabetes management

T2 - Results from a cross-sectional survey among working people with type 1 diabetes

AU - Hansen, Ulla M.

AU - Olesen, Kasper

AU - Browne, Jessica L.

AU - Skinner, Timothy C.

AU - Willaing, Ingrid

PY - 2018/6/1

Y1 - 2018/6/1

N2 - Aim: Diabetes distress captures a range of emotional responses and reactions to life with diabetes and is considered a part of the experience of managing diabetes and its treatment. Given the importance of the social context of work life for people of working age we set out to explore whether work-related diabetes distress is a distinct and important dimension of diabetes-related emotional distress in working people with type 1 diabetes. Methods: A questionnaire with self-reported measures of psychosocial health and well-being at work was completed by 1126 working people with type 1 diabetes from a specialist diabetes clinic in Denmark. Work-related diabetes distress was assessed with two questions about worry and exhaustion related to reconciling work life and diabetes. Diabetes-related emotional distress was assessed with the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale (PAID-5), a short form version of the full PAID scale. We performed inter-item correlation analyses, exploratory factor analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results: Inter-item correlations and exploratory factor analysis indicated that work-related diabetes distress was distinct from diabetes-related emotional distress. Further, work-related diabetes distress was found to be a unique contributor to work ability, quality of life, intentional hyperglycaemia at work, and absenteeism, after adjusting for covariates and diabetes-related emotional distress. Conclusions: The findings suggest that work-related diabetes distress captures an aspect of distress so far unaccounted for in workers with type 1 diabetes. Further studies are needed to strengthen the conceptual basis of work-related diabetes distress, explore its clinical usefulness and clarify its risk factors.

AB - Aim: Diabetes distress captures a range of emotional responses and reactions to life with diabetes and is considered a part of the experience of managing diabetes and its treatment. Given the importance of the social context of work life for people of working age we set out to explore whether work-related diabetes distress is a distinct and important dimension of diabetes-related emotional distress in working people with type 1 diabetes. Methods: A questionnaire with self-reported measures of psychosocial health and well-being at work was completed by 1126 working people with type 1 diabetes from a specialist diabetes clinic in Denmark. Work-related diabetes distress was assessed with two questions about worry and exhaustion related to reconciling work life and diabetes. Diabetes-related emotional distress was assessed with the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale (PAID-5), a short form version of the full PAID scale. We performed inter-item correlation analyses, exploratory factor analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results: Inter-item correlations and exploratory factor analysis indicated that work-related diabetes distress was distinct from diabetes-related emotional distress. Further, work-related diabetes distress was found to be a unique contributor to work ability, quality of life, intentional hyperglycaemia at work, and absenteeism, after adjusting for covariates and diabetes-related emotional distress. Conclusions: The findings suggest that work-related diabetes distress captures an aspect of distress so far unaccounted for in workers with type 1 diabetes. Further studies are needed to strengthen the conceptual basis of work-related diabetes distress, explore its clinical usefulness and clarify its risk factors.

KW - Diabetes distress

KW - Type 1 diabetes mellitus

KW - Well-being

KW - Work-related diabetes distress

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Diabetes Complications/epidemiology

KW - Workload/psychology

KW - Humans

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Self Report

KW - Stress, Psychological/etiology

KW - Male

KW - Quality of Life/psychology

KW - Young Adult

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Female

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

KW - Aged

U2 - 10.1016/j.diabres.2018.03.040

DO - 10.1016/j.diabres.2018.03.040

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29604390

AN - SCOPUS:85045283556

SN - 0168-8227

VL - 140

SP - 139

EP - 147

JO - Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice

JF - Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice

ER -