The Burden of Obesity and Type 1 Diabetes: Distinct and Synergistic Effects to Worsen Perceived Health and Psychosocial Distress
Authors' conclusion
T1D and OW exert distinct, partially overlapping effects on HRQoL. Their coexistence worsens body pain and interpersonal distress and emphasises the need for integrated strategies in managing 'double diabetes'.
Study context
- Population
- People with or without T1D, with normal weight or overweight/obesity
- Participants
- 43 / 40 / 58 / 41
- Exposure
- T1D and/or overweight/obesity vs neither
- T1D and OW (T1DOW)n = 43
- T1D normal weight (T1DNW)n = 40
- NADNWn = 58reference
- NADOWn = 41
- Outcome
- Health-related quality of life (HRQoL): generic (WHO-5, SF-36) and, in T1D, diabetes-specific (DDS, DES-SF, T1-DDAS) questionnaires; independent and interactive effects of T1D and OW
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
HRQoL (adjusted multivariate analyses)
- T1D associated with reduced well-being (WHO-5)
- p = 0.003
- T1D associated with impaired general health perception (social functioning (SF-36))
- p < 0.001
- T1D associated with lower social functioning (SF-36)
- p = 0.026
- Overweight/obesity (OW) worsened physical functioning
- p < 0.001
- OW worsened role limitations due to physical health
- p = 0.036
- Bodily pain affected by T1D
- p = 0.043
- Bodily pain affected by OW; worst score with both T1D and OW
- p = 0.006
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Diabetes-specific measures among people with T1D
- OW increased interpersonal distress (DDS)
- P = 0.020
- Empowerment and T1D-specific distress unaffected by OW
Original publication
The Burden of Obesity and Type 1 Diabetes: Distinct and Synergistic Effects to Worsen Perceived Health and Psychosocial Distress. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 9 March 2026. doi:10.
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