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Diabetes and Depression
Workers with diabetes, especially young adults and women, may be at increased risk for depression, according to a NIOSH study published in the August 2021 issue of Diabetes Spectrum. Researchers used data from the 2014–2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the world’s largest telephone survey, to identify study participants who reported being employed and having diabetes at the time of the survey—a total of nearly 84,700 people. Participants were categorized into four age groups: 18–34, 35–54, 55–64, and 65 or older. In all age groups, female workers were significantly more likely than male workers to report depression. Information from the study appears below.
From study author and NIOSH Epidemiologist Harpriya Kaur:
“A strength of this study is the large population-based sample that allowed us to explore the relationship between diabetes and depression among workers by age group and other characteristics, including demographics and physical health conditions. Having a better understanding of which groups may be at greatest risk can help inform preventive measures such as tailored educational messages and health promotion resources in the workplace.”
SOURCES
Diabetes Spectrum: “Depression and Diabetes in Workers Across the Life Span: Addressing the Health of America’s Workforce—Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014–2018” (August 2021).
NIOSH: “Depression More Common in Workers with Diabetes” (August 2021).
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