Maintenance of Self-Care Activities During COVID-19 Lockdown in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes That Received a Comprehensive Care Program Training

Abstract

In 2020, several countries established a global emergency state. Lockdowns restricted people's lifestyles and daily activities to prevent coronavirus spread. These measures hindered diabetes mellitus control and lifestyle changes. This study aims to evaluate if attending a multidisciplinary program before the pandemic helped maintain a good metabolic state, lifestyle modifications, and mental health in patients with diabetes mellitus during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: Patients included in this study attended a multidisciplinary program, with <5 years of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, without disabling complications, between 18-70 years old. The complete lockdown occurred from February 27, 2020, to May 31, 2020. The first patient (non-COVID) to return to the center for face-to-face consultation was in March 2021. Consultations in 2019 were face-to-face and changed to a virtual modality during 2020. We analyzed metabolic, lifestyle, mental health, and diabetes education parameters. Results: A total of 133 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included with complete information in visits before and during the lockdown. Metabolic parameters and self-care measures (nutrition plan, foot evaluation, and self-glucose monitoring) evaluated on our patients had no change during the lockdown. We found a significant increase in the time patients spent sitting during the day (p<0.05). Barriers to exercise increased during lockdown, being joint pain (3.8% to 12.0%, p<0.01) and lack of time to exercise (4.5% to 7.5%, p=0.33) being the most common. There was no significant difference in symptoms of anxiety and depression, quality of life, and empowerment. Conclusion:A multidisciplinary diabetes mellitus program, including diabetes education for self-care activities, positively impacts patients, maintaining good outcomes despite lockdown difficulties.

Impact of Lockdown Measures on Health Outcomes of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Bangladesh

“…As a result, potentially, increases in weight with changes in diet and exercise, as well as reducing control over blood sugar levels, can occur, with non-diabetic individuals found to have an increased risk of T2DM due to weight gain because of lockdown measures [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. However, this may not always be the case [ 38 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Having said this, various published studies have shown concerns with weight gain, the control of blood sugar levels, and potentially an increase in complications among patients with T2DM during the pandemic, which have been exacerbated by issues of compliance with prescribed medicines [ 36 , 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”