COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare interruptions and diabetes distress: a national study of US adults with diabetes

Abstract

Background: Early COVID-19 pandemic research found changes in health care and diabetes management, as well as increased diabetes distress. This study aims to determine the association between COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare interruptions and diabetes distress among adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the US in 2021. Methods: Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze moderate and high levels of diabetes distress (reference = no diabetes distress) in 228 individuals with Type 1 diabetes and 2534 individuals with Type 2 diabetes interviewed in the National Health Interview Survey in 2021. Results: Among adults with Type 1 diabetes, 41.2% experienced moderate diabetes distress and 19.1% experienced high diabetes distress, and among adults with Type 2 diabetes, 40.8% experienced moderate diabetes distress and 10.0% experienced high diabetes distress. In adults with Type 1 diabetes, experiencing delayed medical care was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 4.31 (95% CI: 1.91–9.72) for moderate diabetes distress and 3.69 (95% CI: 1.20–11.30) for high diabetes distress. In adults with Type 2 diabetes, experiencing delayed medical care was associated with an aOR of 1.61 (95% CI: 1.25–2.07) for moderate diabetes distress and 2.27 (95% CI: 1.48–3.49) for high diabetes distress. Similar associations were observed between not receiving medical care due to the pandemic and diabetes distress. Conclusion: Among people with diabetes, experiencing delayed medical care and not receiving care due to the pandemic were associated with higher reports of diabetes distress.