Depression and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care

Abstract

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin deficiency. Mood disorders such as depression may affect treatment adherence in diabetes and lead to poor glycemic control. Objective: To determine the association between depression and poor glycemic control in patients ≥30 years with T2DM treated at the “Manuel Francisco Vélez” Integrated Health Center (CIS), Cane, La Paz, Honduras, 2024. Methods: Observational, analytical, case–control study. A total of 90 patients ≥30 years were included (30 cases with inadequate glycemic control and 60 controls with adequate control). SPSS v27 was used for univariate, bivariate, and multivariable analysis. Chi-square and Student’s t-test were used in the bivariate analysis, and adjusted odds ratios were estimated through logistic regression. Results: Cases showed significantly higher levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (10.97) compared to controls (6.49; p = 0.001), and higher Beck-II scores (17.53 vs. 11.35; p = 0.001). Depression was associated with poor glycemic control (aOR: 5.7; 95% CI: 1.8–18.3; p < 0.001), as well as having more than 10 years since diagnosis (aOR: 4.9; 95% CI: 1.5–15.9; p = 0.007), non-adherence to treatment (aOR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.2–11.3; p = 0.02), and obesity (aOR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.1–9.9; p = 0.04). Discussion: A significant association was found between depression and poor glycemic control. Factors such as obesity, longer duration since diagnosis, and non-adherence to treatment also showed a negative impact.