Screening for type 2 diabetes is feasible, acceptable, but associated with increased short-term anxiety: A randomised controlled trial in British general practice
Open Access
- 7 October 2008
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in BMC Public Health
- Vol. 8 (1), 350
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-350
Abstract
Background: To assess the feasibility and uptake of a diabetes screening programme; to examine the effects of invitation to diabetes screening on anxiety, self-rated health and illness perceptions. Methods: Randomised controlled trial in two general practices in Cambridgeshire. Individuals aged 40–69 without known diabetes were identified as being at high risk of having undiagnosed type 2 diabetes using patient records and a validated risk score (n = 1,280). 355 individuals were randomised in a 2 to 1 ratio into non-invited (n = 238) and invited (n = 116) groups. A stepwise screening programme confirmed the presence or absence of diabetes. Six weeks after the last contact (either test or invitation), a questionnaire was sent to all participants, including non-attenders and those who were not originally invited. Outcome measures included attendance, anxiety (short-form Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory-STAI), self-rated health and diabetes illness perceptions. Results: 95 people (82% of those invited) attended for the initial capillary blood test. Six individuals were diagnosed with diabetes. Invited participants were more anxious than those not invited (37.6 vs. 34.1 STAI, p-value = 0.015), and those diagnosed with diabetes were considerably more anxious than those classified free of diabetes (46.7 vs. 37.0 STAI, p-value = 0.031). Non-attenders had a higher mean treatment control sub-scale (3.87 vs. 3.56, p-value = 0.016) and a lower mean emotional representation sub-scale (1.81 vs. 2.68, p-value = 0.001) than attenders. No differences in the other five illness perception sub-scales or self-rated health were found. Conclusion: Screening for type 2 diabetes in primary care is feasible but may be associated with higher levels of short-term anxiety among invited compared with non-invited participants. Trial registration: ISRCTN99175498Keywords
This publication has 27 references indexed in Scilit:
- Psychological impact of screening for type 2 diabetes: controlled trial and comparative study embedded in the ADDITION (Cambridge) randomised controlled trialBMJ, 2007
- In a randomized trial, outcomes were not affected by intensive follow-up over 1 yearJournal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2005
- The psychological impact of screening for type 2 diabetesDiabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, 2005
- Illness perceptions and distress in women at increased risk of breast cancerPsychology & Health, 2004
- The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R)Psychology & Health, 2002
- Psychological impact of predicting individuals’ risks of illness: a systematic reviewSocial Science & Medicine, 1999
- No symptoms, no problem? Patients′ understandings of non-insulin dependent diabetesFamily Practice, 1995
- The development of a six‐item short‐form of the state scale of the Spielberger State—Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1992
- Type 2 Diabetes and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults: a Population‐based StudyDiabetic Medicine, 1991
- The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of ChoiceScience, 1981