The Associations Between Diabetes Distress, Diet, and psychosocial Factors in Hispanic and Latino Adults Living With Type 2 Diabetes in the U.S.: Results From An Online Survey

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the associations between dietary intake, social support, acculturation, coping, and diabetes distress (DD) levels among Hispanic and Latino adults with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was administered using Qualtrics. Multiple linear regression models analyzed the relationships between DD, diabetes-related behaviors, diet, acculturation, social support, and coping. Results: Participants (n = 200) were, on average, 48.8 ± 14.4 (mean ± SD ) years old, born in the U.S. (83.5%), and had type 2 diabetes for 2.8 ± 0.9 years. They self-reported an A1C level of ≥6.0% (80.5%), at least one other chronic disease (55.5%), and were prescribed diabetes medications (78.8%) and/or insulin (59.0%). Linear regression models showed that taking insulin significantly predicted lower levels of distress ( b = –0.118; 95% CI, –0.18 to –0.05), and lower coping ability significantly predicted higher DD levels ( b = 5.519; 95% CI, 4.04-7.00). There were no significant differences in DD associated with dietary intake. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for including effective coping strategies for DD management into diabetes care programs for Hispanic and Latino adults with type 2 diabetes.