Association between Anxiety Symptoms and Grazing Behavior in People with Type 2 Diabetes

This study aimed to evaluate the association between anxiety symptom levels and grazing behavior in individuals with type 2 diabetes. It employed a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical design, conducted between August 2023 and June 2024 at a public hospital. The sample consisted of 157 individuals with type 2 diabetes, aged 20 to 64 years, of both sexes, who had been receiving care from the hospital’s endocrinology department for at least one year. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms, while the Repetitive Eating Questionnaire measured the frequency of grazing behavior. In the anthropometric assessment, most participants were classified as overweight; however, arm circumference measurements indicated a higher prevalence of eutrophy. Neck circumference results revealed that the majority of participants were at increased cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between glycated hemoglobin levels and arm circumference values. On average, participants had been living with diabetes for 11 ± 8.3 years. Most were using insulin and did not have access to ongoing nutritional counseling. The majority had fasting blood glucose levels above the recommended threshold, a pattern also reflected in their glycated hemoglobin levels. A positive correlation was identified between anxiety symptom scores and glycated hemoglobin levels. Although most participants exhibited minimal anxiety symptoms, the total anxiety score showed a statistically significant positive correlation with grazing behavior scores. This study is particularly relevant as it highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between psychological distress and maladaptive eating behaviors, which may compromise effective diabetes management.