Prevalence and factors of fear of hypoglycemia among Chinese older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The fear of hypoglycemia (FOH) in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has seriously affected their glycemic control and quality of life. This was a cross-sectional study to identify the disease-related characteristics, psychological and social factors of FOH in older persons with T2DM, and to explore the relationship between these factors. A total of 332 older Chinese adults diagnosed with T2DM completed the survey. Results: The mean FOH score was 33.14 ± 11.273, which was associated with age, education, frequency of hypoglycemic episodes and types of hypoglycemia. Social support and psychological resilience were negatively correlated with FOH, and the association between social support and FOH in the participants was partially mediated by psychological resilience. Conclusions: Our study highlight that medical staff should pay more attention to the mental health status of older adults with T2DM, improving mental resilience and strengthening social support can help reduce their FOH level, and thereby help them control blood glucose scientifically and improve their quality of life.