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Abstract: Remedy to Diabetes Distress (R2D2)—Identify the Relationship between HbA1c, Socioeconomic Status (SES), and Diabetes Distress (DD)

Rhiannon Pomerantz, David D. Williams, Hung-Wen Yeh, Mark A. Clements, Susana R. Patton

Objective: DD among school-age children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and their parents is associated with suboptimal glycemic control. We sought to determine if SES modulates the association between parent distress and child HbA1c.

Methods: Parents completed the Problem Areas in Diabetes-Child (P-PAID-C) and reported family demographics. We measured child HbA1c using a validated fingerstick homekit. We calculated a Hollingshead Score to quantify family SES. We developed a multivariable regression model with child HbA1c as the outcome and Hollingshead Tertiles (lowest = tertile 1) and P-PAID-C scores as predictors.

Results: The sample included N = 158 parent-child dyads,[M ± SD] child age 10.20±1.49 years, HbA1c 7.96±1.63%, 50% boys, 9.3% Black, 6.2% Hispanic; 88.8% of respondents were mothers. P-PAID-C score was 59.0±18.0. Simple correlations suggested higher child HbA1c associated with higher P-PAID-C scores and lower SES. Regression results showed P-PAID-C scores as the strongest predictor of child HbA1c even when including SES and an interaction variable. (Figure.1)

Conclusion: Child HbA1c increases as a function of parent DD, but family SES does not modify this association. Parent DD may represent a treatable, underscoring a need for research testing interventions to reduce parent DD levels.

Scatter plots comparing parent PAID scores and youth HbA1c levels by socioeconomic tertile. The charts show little to no strong relationship between parent diabetes distress and HbA1c across socioeconomic groups.

Disclosure

R.Pomerantz: None. D.D.Williams: None. H.Yeh: None. M.A.Clements: Consultant; Glooko, Inc., Research Support; Dexcom, Inc., Abbott Diabetes. S.R.Patton: None.

Link: https://doi.org/10.2337/db23-1453-P