The Association Between Psychological Distress and Diabetic Retinopathy Among U.S. Adults After Controlling for Age, Educational Level, and Income, A Retrospective, Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Diabetes could lead to diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that causes damaged blood vessels and the growth of abnormal ones. The quantitative study examined the relationship between psychological distress and diabetic retinopathy while considering gender. The aim was to determine the role of psychological distress in diabetic retinopathy after controlling for covariates such as age, educational level, and income.  Methods: The study examined the association between the independent variables, psychological distress, and the dependent variable, diabetic retinopathy. For the study, a nationally representative dataset, The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), was used to analyze data.  Result: There was no association between psychological distress and diabetic retinopathy among U.S. adults when controlling for education level, income, and age. A p-value of 0.87 shows that there is no association between psychological distress and diabetic retinopathy among U.S. adults after controlling for age, educational level, and income. The odds ratio of 0.96 (CI 0.60-1.56) denotes strong evidence to fail to reject the null hypothesis. The result shows that although the literature on the topic indicated a link between psychosocial functioning and diabetic macular edema (DME) or diabetic retinopathy, there is uncertainty behind the direction and extent of the association.  Conclusion: The results of the study have implications for positive social change and fill a public health knowledge gap, contributing to population health planning and implementation. Further research on patient education and regular screening for diabetic retinopathy in the United States for diabetic patients is necessary.