Podium · Western Institute of Nursing · 2026
Women often carry more of the emotional weight of diabetes. This study asked whether a digital program addressing social needs affects that distress differently for women and men.
Diabetes distress is the emotional burden of living with and managing diabetes, and it tends to weigh more heavily on women, shaped by caregiving roles, coping, and financial strain. This study examined how diabetes distress differed by gender over 12 months among adults with diabetes, and whether a digital program called CareAvenue, which screens for unmet social needs and connects people to community resources, worked differently for women and men.
This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (2019 to 2023) of CareAvenue. Participants (N = 598, ages 18 to 75) with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who reported financial burden or cost-related nonadherence were randomized to the intervention or usual care, with diabetes distress measured at baseline, 6, and 12 months.
Women often report higher diabetes distress, and CareAvenue targets the financial and social barriers behind it.
Effects may differ by gender, informing who benefits most.