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Patients with diabetes and obesity exhibit characteristics in eating and coping behaviors and personality traits

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Abstract

Aims/introduction

In patients with diabetes, obesity is an aggravating factor for glycemic control and its vascular complications. However, the psychological and behavioral characteristics of those patients with obesity have not been fully clarified. This study investigated eating and coping behavior, personality traits, quality of life (QOL), and depression status in patients with diabetes with or without obesity.

Materials and methods

Questionnaires obtained from 567 patients with diabetes at Dokkyo Medical University were analyzed. Eating behavior, coping behavior, personality traits, QOL, and depression status were evaluated by the Eating Behavior Questionnaire, Brief COPE, Japanese Ten-Item Personality Inventory, EuroQol 5 Dimensions-5 Level, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. Participants were divided according to body mass index (BMI) into a non-obese group (BMI < 25), obese group (BMI 25–35), and high-degree obese group (BMI ≥ 35), and results were compared between groups.

Results

On all items of the Eating Behavior Questionnaire, scores were higher in the obese and high-degree obese groups than non-obese group, indicating worse eating behavior. In coping behavior, significant intergroup differences were found in self-distraction, substance use, using emotional support, using instrumental support, and venting. As for personality traits, the obese group had significantly lower conscientiousness and higher emotional instability than the non-obese group. There was no significant difference in QOL or depression status.

Conclusions

These results suggest that there are some characteristics in eating and coping behaviors and some personality traits between obese and non-obese patients with diabetes. Treatment based on such characteristics may be useful for patients with diabetes and obesity.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [I.U.], upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mr. Kazuyoshi Kawai in department of psychiatry and Miss Ryoko Sugamata in department of endocrinology and metabolism in Dokkyo Medical University for their excellent technical supports. We also thank Dr. Masato Kase, Dr. Kanako Kato, Dr. Yuiko Inoue, Dr. Toshimitsu Shinzawa, Dr. Soichiro Hosonuma, Dr. Takafumi Niitani, Dr. Syo Wakamatsu, Dr. Eitaku Kurai, Dr. Eriko Ohira, Dr. Tomohisa Kunii, Dr. Yasutake Shinohara, Dr. Nanako Hirao, Dr. Dai Tanuma, Dr. Kanako Suda, Dr. Yusuke Kamiga, Dr. Tsubasa Nakamura and Dr. Chiaki Saito in department of endocrinology and metabolism in Dokkyo Medical University for collecting the data of questionnaire. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dokkyo Medical University, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu Tochigi, Shimotsuga, 321-0293, Japan

    Masahiro Saito, Isao Usui, Teruo Jojima, Shintaro Sakurai, Haruka Kishi, Masaaki Sagara, Takuya Tomaru, Toshie Iijima & Yoshimasa Aso

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Dokkyo Medical University, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu Tochigi, Shimotsuga, 321-0293, Japan

    Norio Sugawara, Kazutaka Shimoda & Norio Yasui-Furukori

Authors
  1. Masahiro Saito
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  2. Isao Usui
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isao Usui.

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Conflict of interest

Yoshimasa Aso received honoraria from Daiichi Sankyo, Tanabe Mitsubishi, Sumitomo Pharma, and Novo Nordisk, and Isao Usui from Daiichi Sankyo as lecture fees. Masahiro Saito, Norio Sugawara, Teruo Jojima, Shintaro Sakurai, Haruka Kishi, Masaaki Sagara, Takuya Tomaru, Toshie Iijima, Kazutaka Shimoda, Norio Yasui-Furukori declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human participants

The protocol for this research project has been approved by a suitably constituted Ethics Committee of Dokkyo Medical University Hospital (approval number R4-023), and it conforms to the provision of the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013) and the Japanese Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Biological Research Involving Human Subjects.

Informed consent

Informed consent for study participation was obtained by an opt-out approach and patient anonymity was preserved.

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Saito, M., Usui, I., Sugawara, N. et al. Patients with diabetes and obesity exhibit characteristics in eating and coping behaviors and personality traits. Diabetol Int (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13340-024-00721-w

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