The Association Between Depressive Symptoms, Access to Diabetes Care, and Glycemic Control in Five Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

OBJECTIVE The relationship between depression, diabetes, and access to diabetes care is es-tablished in high-income countries (HICs) but not in middle-income countries (MICs), where contexts and health systems differ and may impact this relation-ship. In this study, we investigate access to diabetes care for individuals with and without depressive symptoms in MICs. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed pooled data from nationally representative household surveys across Brazil, Chile, China, Indonesia, and Mexico. Validated survey tools Center for Epidemio-logic Studies Depression Scale Revised, Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Short Form, and Patient Health Questionnaire identified participants with depressive symptoms. Diabetes, defined per World Health Organization Package of Essential Non-communicable Disease Interventions guidelines, included self-reported medication use and biochemical data. The primary focus was on tracking diabetes care progression through the stages of diagnosis, treatment, and glycemic control. Descriptive and mul-tivariable logistic regression analyses, accounting for gender, age, education, and BMI, examined diabetes prevalence and care continuum progression. RESULTS The pooled sample included 18,301 individuals aged 50 years and above; 3,309 (18.1%) had diabetes, and 3,934 (21.5%) exhibited depressive symptoms. Diabetes prevalence was insignificantly higher among those with depressive symptoms (28.9%) compared with those without (23.8%, P = 0.071). Co-occurrence of diabetes and depression was associated with increased odds of diabetes detection (odds ratio [OR] 1.398, P < 0.001) and treatment (OR 1.344, P < 0.001), but not with higher odds of glycemic control (OR 0.913, P = 0.377). CONCLUSIONS In MICs, individuals aged 50 years and older with diabetes and depression showed height-ened diabetes identification and treatment probabilities, unlike patterns seen in HICs. This underscores the unique interplay of these conditions in different income settings.