Lifestyles Under Lockdown: A Scoping Review of International Studies on Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Behaviors During COVID-19

Abstract

BackgroundThe effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetes self-management behaviors is unclear.ObjectivesThis paper is a scoping review of studies examining health behaviors among people with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.Eligibility CriteriaWe searched articles available in English using the Search terms “COVID” and “diabetes”, and, separately, each of the following terms: “lifestyle”, “health behavior”, “self-care”, “self-management”, “adherence”, “compliance”, “eating”, “diet”, “physical activity”, “exercise”, “sleep”, “self-monitoring of blood glucose”, or “continuous glucose monitoring”.Sources of EvidenceWe searched PubMed, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar databases from December 2019 through August 2021.Charting MethodsData were extracted by 4 calibrated reviewers and study elements were charted.ResultsThe search identified 1,710 articles. After screening for relevance and eligibility, 24 articles were included in this review. Findings show the strongest evidence for reduced physical activity and stable glucose monitoring and substance use. There was equivocal evidence for deleterious changes in sleep, diet, and medication intake. With one minor exception, there was no evidence for favorable changes in health behaviors. Limitations of the literature include small samples, predominantly cross-sectional study designs, reliance on retrospective self-reports, sampling through social media, and few standardized measures.ConclusionsEarly studies of health behaviors among people with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic suggest a need for novel interventions to support diabetes self-management, especially targeting physical activity. Future studies should go beyond documenting changes in health behaviors and examine predictors of change over time.

Barriers and facilitators to self-measured blood pressure monitoring among US-resettled Arab refugees with hypertension: a qualitative study

“…Clinicians, researchers, and leaders discussed similar findings on the exacerbation of blood pressure control inequities by COVID-19 [ 62 ]. COVID-19 was also highlighted as a barrier to care-seeking behavior in a scoping review on diabetes self-management during the pandemic [ 76 ]. These trends warrant further research into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters (e.g., public health, environmental) on hypertension self-management, especially in vulnerable populations such as the refugee community.…”