Diabetes Distress in People at Risk for Diabetes-Related Foot Disease in Primary Health Care

Diabetes-related distress (DRD) is exacerbated in people at risk of Diabetes-related Foot Disease (DFD); however, knowledge on this topic is still limited, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC), which focuses on prevention and monitoring. This study evaluated DRD and its associated factors in PHC individuals at risk of developing DFD, aiming to support management strategies to reduce complications.

Cross-sectional study with 1563 individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) registered in PHC services in Brazil. Participants were stratified according to their risk of DFD, based on the criteria from the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot. The DRD was measured using the Problem Areas in Diabetes (B-PAID) scale, considering a score ≥ 40 as indicative of high distress. Sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral variables were collected and analyzed using Gamma regression on the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 26.0).

Among 1563 people with DM, 39.8% were at risk for DFD. In the multiple regression model, there is notable increase in DRD associated with greater difficulty in caring for the feet (β = 1.129; 1.014-1.257), loss of protective sensation (β = 1.311; 1.110-1.549), and poor glycemic control (β = 0.850; 0.761-0.951).

Sociodemographic and clinical factors, particularly loss of protective sensation in the feet, difficulty in foot care, and inadequate control of glycated hemoglobin, are associated with greater DRD in people at risk for DFD. Primary health care stands out as a strategic space for integrating psychosocial support and clinical management, ensuring that preventive measures are implemented and resulting complications are avoided or detected early.