Financial stress in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes in the United States

To describe the relationships among financial stress factors (perceived stress, financial stress, and financial independence) and psychological factors (depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, and diabetes distress) on self-management outcomes (HbA1c and diabetes-related quality of life) in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes.

A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study examined 413 emerging adults, ages 18-25, from the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange Clinic Registry. Data were collected via REDCap surveys using the Personal Financial Well-Being Scale, Willingness to Pay Scale, Financial Independence Visual Analog Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, The Type 1 Diabetes Distress Scale, and Diabetes Quality of Life Measure. Hierarchical Multiple Regression analyses explored significant barriers to self-management outcomes.

Hierarchical Multiple Regression analyses revealed that 20.6% of variance in HbA1c (F = 15.555, p < 0.001) was explained by greater financial stress (β = -0.197, p < 0.001), willingness to pay (β = -0.220, p < 0.001), disease duration (β = 0.119, p = 0.014), and diabetes distress (β = 0.181, p < 0.001); 64.5% of the variance in diabetes-related quality of life (F = 148.469, p < 0.001) was significantly explained by greater financial stress (β = -0.112, p = 0.002), diabetes distress (β = 0.512, p < 0.001), trait anxiety (β = 0.183, p = 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = 0.162, p = 0.001).

Greater financial stress and psychological factors have detrimental impacts on self-management outcomes during emerging adulthood. Diabetes providers need to identify and address these factors in routine care and advocate for policy changes to support improved self-management outcomes.