Affective symptoms and change in diabetes self-efficacy and glycaemic control

Diabet Med. 2013 May;30(5):e189-96. doi: 10.1111/dme.12146.

Abstract

Aims: To examine the role of baseline depression, anxiety and stress symptoms on post-intervention diabetes self-efficacy and glycaemic control (HbA(1c)).

Methods: The current study analysed data from patients (n = 85) with treated but uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes who participated in a comparative effectiveness study of two diabetes self-management interventions. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the relationships between baseline affective symptoms and post-intervention diabetes self-efficacy and the moderating effects of baseline affective symptoms on the relationship between changes in diabetes self-efficacy and post-intervention HbA(1c).

Results: Baseline depression was inversely associated with post-intervention diabetes self-efficacy (P = 0.0001) after adjusting for baseline characteristics including diabetes self-efficacy. In contrast, normal-mild levels of stress were associated with higher post-intervention diabetes self-efficacy (P = 0.04). Anxiety and stress symptoms significantly and independently moderated the relationship between changes in diabetes self-efficacy and post-intervention HbA(1c) (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). Further evaluation of these interactions demonstrated that changes in diabetes self-efficacy were associated with lower post-intervention HbA(1c), but only among those with higher baseline affective symptoms.

Conclusions: We found a moderating effect across affective symptoms on the relationship between diabetes self-efficacy changes and post-intervention HbA1c in the context of a self-management intervention. Results suggest that patients with poorly controlled diabetes who have higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms may derive greater benefits from self-management interventions known to improve diabetes self-efficacy.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living / psychology*
  • Affective Symptoms / blood
  • Affective Symptoms / etiology*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anxiety / etiology*
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Depression / etiology*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / psychology*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glycated Hemoglobin / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Education as Topic*
  • Self Care / psychology*
  • Self Efficacy*
  • Stress, Psychological / etiology

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Glycated Hemoglobin A
  • hemoglobin A1c protein, human