Prevalence and Correlation of Pain in Fatigued Patients with Diabetes in Taif City, Saudi Arabia

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the common chronic diseases worldwide. Approximately 422 million people have been diagnosed with DM worldwide; in Saudi Arabia, the prevalence is 30%. DM has many complications that are known to cause pain and fatigue to the patients. Moreover, chronic pain and fatigue are highly associated with a decreased quality of life. Pain and fatigue studies on diabetic patients are still insufficient in Saudi Arabia especially in Taif city. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and correlation of pain in fatigued patients with diabetes in Taif city, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2020 to March 2021. The sample size included 200 participants from Taif city. Inclusion criteria encompassed those who were ≥15 years of age and had diabetes for at least one year. Those who did not have diabetes or were younger than 15 years of age were excluded. A self-administrated electronic questionnaire was used to collect the data. The statistical analysis of data was performed using IBM statistics version 20. Results: A total of 55.2% of the participants reported the presence of pain. Legs and feet were the most frequent locations of the pain. There was association between pain and age, gender, depression, anxiety, and physical activity. In contrast, there was no association between the type of diabetes and fatigue severity or between the type of diabetes and pain severity. Conclusions: Pain is a highly prevalent symptom in diabetic patients. Highlighting the importance of improving modifiable risk factors in diabetic patients is paramount in reducing the effect of pain and fatigue on those patients.