Exploring diabetes distress and its relationship to glycemic control in hospitalized patients

Introduction: Diabetes distress (DD) influences diabetes management and glycemic control. Although widely studied internationally, its prevalence and association with HbA1c remain underexplored in France.

Method: This single-center cross-sectional study included 66 patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes hospitalized in a diabetology department. DD was assessed using the DDS17 scale, measuring a total score and subscores (emotional burden, diet and treatment, interpersonal relationships, and physician-related distress). HbA1c levels were used to assess glycemic control. Univariate tests were employed for analyses. Results: The prevalence of clinically significant DD (≥ 2) was 72.73%. The emotional burden (85.39%) and diet and treatment (65.15%) subscales had the highest scores. A moderate correlation was observed between the total DD score and HbA1c (r = 0.333, p < 0.01), with the diet and treatment subscale showing the strongest correlation (r = 0.442, p < 0.001). Discussion: The results emphasize the relationship between DD and glycemic control. Limitations include the small sample size and the lack of formal validation of the French version of the DDS17.This study highlights the importance of integrating DD assessment into the care of diabetic patients. Multicenter studies are needed.