Poor sleep quality and anxiety in patients with diabetes mellitus and its association with glycemic control: A cross-sectional study

Background/objective Sleep is crucial for maintaining physical and mental health, and poor sleep quality is associated with an increased risk of metabolic, cognitive, and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to assess sleep quality and factors associated with poor sleep quality, such as mental disorders, especially anxiety, in adult patients with type 2 diabetes in Morocco. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes, using random selection, aged 39–85, in the clinical neurophysiology and internal medicine department of the Mohammed V Military Instruction Hospital, between 30/09/2024 and 30/12/2024. The questionnaire comprised demographic data, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Descriptive tests, independent two-sample t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regressions were performed using Jamovi version 2.6.2. Results Out of the 120 participants, the mean age of our patients was 65.4 ± 9.32 years, of whom 66.67% were women. The mean PSQI score was 9.18 ± 3.73, and the mean GAD-7 score was 8.0 ± 6.11. Poor sleep quality was reported in 84.2% of participants, while a binary logistic regression analysis revealed that poor sleep quality was not significantly associated with high HbA1c, but rather was highly significant with age and GAD-7. Conclusion The study reveals that poor sleep quality is common among type 2 diabetic patients in Morocco, and is strongly associated with generalized anxiety disorders. These findings underscore the crucial role of psychological factors in diabetes management. They highlight the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach that takes into account not only biomedical aspects but also the psychological and behavioral dimensions of patients.