Screening for type 2 diabetes is feasible, acceptable, but associated with increased short-term anxiety: A randomised controlled trial in British general practice
2008

Screening for Type 2 Diabetes: Feasibility and Anxiety Impact

Sample size: 355 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Park Paul, Simmons Rebecca K, Prevost A Toby, Griffin Simon J

Primary Institution: University of Cambridge

Hypothesis

Is screening for type 2 diabetes feasible and does it affect anxiety levels?

Conclusion

Screening for type 2 diabetes in primary care is feasible but may increase short-term anxiety among invited participants.

Supporting Evidence

  • 82% of invited participants attended the initial screening test.
  • Six individuals were diagnosed with diabetes during the screening.
  • Invited participants had higher anxiety scores compared to non-invited participants.

Takeaway

This study shows that checking for diabetes is possible in doctors' offices, but it can make people feel more anxious, especially if they are invited to get tested.

Methodology

A randomized controlled trial was conducted in two general practices with individuals aged 40-69 identified as high risk for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Potential Biases

Participants were selected based on complete data for calculating the risk score, which may introduce selection bias.

Limitations

The study was small and included only two GP practices, which may limit generalizability.

Participant Demographics

Two-thirds of participants were men, and the population was largely Caucasian.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.015

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 75% to 89%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-8-350

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