Diabetes Distress and Associations With Demographic and Clinical Variables: A Nationwide Population-Based Registry Study of 10,186 Adults With Type 1 Diabetes in Norway.

Objective: To estimate diabetes distress prevalence and associations with demographic and clinical variables among adults with type 1 diabetes in Norway.

Research Design And Methods: In this nationwide population-based registry study, the 20-item Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID-20) questionnaire was sent to 16,255 adults with type 1 diabetes. Linear regression models examined associations of demographic and clinical variables with distress.

Results: In total, 10,186 individuals (62.7%) completed the PAID-20, with a mean score of 25.4 (SD 18.4) and 21.7% reporting high distress. Respondents endorsed worrying about the future and complications as the most problematic item (23.0%). Female sex, younger age, non-European origin, primary education only, unemployment, smoking, continuous glucose monitoring use, more symptomatic hypoglycemia, reduced foot sensitivity, treated retinopathy, and higher HbA1c were associated with higher distress.

Conclusions: Diabetes distress is common among adults with type 1 diabetes and associated with clinically relevant factors, underlining that regular care should include efforts to identify and address distress.