Abstract
Objective: Diabetes mellitus is considered an emotionally and behaviourally demanding condition which adds to the stress of a patient’s daily living. There is a paucity of literature in South Africa regarding stress and diabetes. This study therefore aims to identify the areas and contributory factors of psychosocial stress in South African patients with diabetes.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two public facilities and five private medical practices on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Questionnaire on Stress in Diabetes – Revised was administered to 401 participants.Results: Eighteen percent of the sample reported having extreme psychosocial stress. Depression, physical complaints and self-medication/diet were the main areas which contributed to high psychosocial stress. Factors that also contributed to high levels of psychosocial stress were low educational level, unemployment, female gender, attending the public sector and high HbA1c levels.Conclusion: Psychosocial stress affects metabolic control in patients with diabetes, thereby increasing the risks of long-term complications.
Highlights
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased globally with an estimate of 415 million adults living with the disease in 2015.1 Type 2 diabetes is most common and affects millions of people worldwide.[2]
The confidence intervals (CIs) and p values were as follows: leisure time, depression, hypoglycaemia, self-medication/diet, physical complaints, work, partner and doctor-patient relationship
We found that 18.2% of the participants had extreme psychosocial stress scores
Summary
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased globally with an estimate of 415 million adults living with the disease in 2015.1 Type 2 diabetes is most common and affects millions of people worldwide.[2] Diabetes prevalence has rapidly risen in middle- and low-income countries.[2] The International Diabetes Federation estimates that in Africa, 14.2 million adults have diabetes. This figure is expected to increase to 34.2 million in 2040.1 In South Africa, 2.3 million people are estimated to be living with diabetes, with 1.39 million people who have not yet been diagnosed.[1] In 2014, diabetes was among the first three leading causes of death in South Africa.[3]. Some individuals respond positively to stress, others cannot cope with the additional demands of the disease.[5]
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