Prevalence and psychosocial correlations of COVID-19-related worries in people with diabetes mellitus seeking services from East Indian tertiary care center: A cross-sectional survey results

Patra, S.; Acharya, S. P.; Taywade, M.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Patro, B. K.

Context: Patients with diabetes are more prone to psychosocial problems which are known to adversely impact clinical outcomes of diabetes. COVID-19 is understood to further worsen the psychosocial problems of patients with diabetes. Aims: We carried out this cross-sectional telephonic survey of COVID-19-related worries in patients with diabetes mellitus to understand the prevalence and correlates of COVID-19-related worries. Settings and Design: This was a telephonic survey of patients seeking care from noncommunicable disease clinic of a tertiary care medical center. Subjects and Methods: We used a structured questionnaire to assess sociodemographic, clinical, psychological variables and COVID-19-related worries. Statistical Analysis Used: We used SPSS 20.0 for descriptive statistics keeping significance levels at 0.05. Between-group comparisons of continuous variables were made with independent t-test and two-way ANOVA;correlations were carried out with Pearson correlation test. Results: Two hundred and nine patients completed the telephonic survey conducted from September to November 2020. The prevalence of diabetes-related worries in our sample was 80%. Younger age (P < 0.001), unemployment (P = 0.029), and the presence of mental disorder (P < 0.001) were associated with higher diabetes-related worries. Poor glycemic control (0.008) and symptoms of COVID-19 (0.03) were associated with diabetes-related worries. Diabetes-related worries correlated with diabetes distress (ρ =0.441, P < 0.001), social isolation (ρ =0.401, P < 0.001), and perception of social support (ρ =-0.158, P < 0.001). Conclusions: A large proportion of our patients with diabetes are at high risk to experience COVID-19-related worries especially, younger people, unemployed and those with mental illness. Furthermore, the presence of diabetes distress and the perception of social isolation increase COVID-19 worries.