Diabetes and anxiety in US adults: findings from the 20...

Diabetes and anxiety in US adults: findings from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Diabetes and anxiety in US adults: findings from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Accepted 27 March 2008
Published Online: 13 May 2008
C. Li, L. Barker*, E. S. Ford, X. Zhang*, T. W. Strine and A. H. Mokdad
Diabetic Medicine
Journal compilation © 2008 Diabetes UK
Wiley InterScience

Division of Adult and Community Health and *Division of Diabetes Translation, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
Correspondence to: Chao-Yang Li, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS K66, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. E-mail: cli@cdc.gov

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Copyright Journal compilation © 2008 Diabetes UK
KEYWORDS
anxiety • diabetes • diagnosis • lifetime • prevalence

Diabet. Med. 25, 878–881 (2008)
ABSTRACT

Aims Anxiety disorders may cause substantial impairment in patient functioning and well-being. Little is known about the relationship between diabetes and anxiety. We estimated the prevalence of lifetime diagnosis of anxiety in adults aged ≥ 18 years with and without diabetes in the USA.

Methods We analysed data from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (total, N = 201 575; 20 142 with diabetes; 39.4% men, 77.9% non-Hispanic Whites, 8.1% non-Hispanic Blacks and 7.7% Hispanics; mean age 52.4 years). Diabetes and lifetime diagnosis of anxiety were self-reported. A multivariable log–binomial model was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) of anxiety based on diabetes status.

Results The overall age-adjusted prevalence of lifetime diagnosis of anxiety was 19.5 and 10.9% in people with and without diabetes, respectively. After adjustment for educational level, marital status, employment status, current smoking, leisure-time physical activity and body mass index, people with diabetes had a 20% higher prevalence of lifetime diagnosis of anxiety than those without (PR 1.20; 95% CI 1.12, 1.30). There were no significant differences in the PR by gender (P = 0.06). However, the ratios differed significantly by age (P = 0.04) and by race/ethnicity (P < 0.01), indicating that people aged 18&#8722;29 years (PR 1.70; 95% CI 1.19, 2.43) and Hispanics (PR 1.69; 95% CI 1.33, 2.15) had a higher ratio than their counterparts.

Conclusion Diabetes was significantly associated with anxiety in adults in this large population-based sample, particularly in Hispanics and young adults.

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