Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Nov-Dec;14(6):1815-1819.
doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.09.005. Epub 2020 Sep 11.

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on type 2 diabetes, lifestyle and psychosocial health: A hospital-based cross-sectional survey from South India

Prasanth Sankar  1 , Waseem N Ahmed  2 , Vineetha Mariam Koshy  3 , Rittin Jacob  4 , Saranya Sasidharan  5
Affiliations

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on type 2 diabetes, lifestyle and psychosocial health: A hospital-based cross-sectional survey from South India

Prasanth Sankar et al. Diabetes Metab Syndr. 2020 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background and aims: Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic imposed many restrictions on the public. Loss of continuum of care along with improper lifestyle was expected to worsen glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to identify the effects of lockdown on their glycemic status, lifestyle changes and psychosocial health.

Methods: The pre- and post-lockdown data of 110 adults with T2D who were under regular follow up was collected by direct interview during their visit to the diabetes clinic. The variables analyzed included demographic data, HbA1c, body weight, lifestyle changes, psychosocial factors and use of technology.

Result: The overall physical activity and dietary adherence remained unchanged in more than 80% of the participants. There was increased consumption of vegetables (80.9%), fruits (42.7%), and decreased unhealthy snacking (63%). 90% of them had access to medications. No significant change was noted in the mean HbA1c and body weight before and after lockdown. Most of them (99%) watched television and 73.6% of them spent time with their family members. Those with mental stress and poor sleep had unhealthy dietary habits. Poor glycemic control was seen in those with less physical activity and an unhealthy diet.

Conclusion: Lockdown did not cause a major change in the overall glycemic control. Measures to promote healthy lifestyle practices along with ways to reduce psychosocial stress must be implemented for better T2D management during such restricted times.

Keywords: COVID-19; Diabetes; Glycemic control; Lifestyle; Lockdown; Stress.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Important dietary changes during lockdown (%).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Utilization of time during lockdown (%).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ahmed W.N., Arun C.S., Koshy T.G., Nair A., Sankar P., Rasheed S.A. Management of diabetes during fasting and COVID-19–Challenges and solutions. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2020;9(8):3797–3806. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_845_20. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Onmanorama COVID-19 Timeline: how Kerala fought the pandemic so far. 2020. https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2020/05/06/covid-19-timeline-kera...
    1. Ammar A., Trabelsi K., Brach M., Chtourou H., Boukhris O., Masmoudi L. Effects of home confinement on mental health and lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak: insights from the ECLB-COVID19 multicentre study [Published online ahead of print, August 2020] Biol Sport. 2021;38(1):9–21. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2020.96857. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ghosal S., Sinha B., Majumder M., Misra A. Estimation of effects of nationwide lockdown for containing coronavirus infection on worsening of glycosylated haemoglobin and increase in diabetes-related complications: a simulation model using multivariate regression analysis. Diabetes Metab. Syndr. 2020;14(4):319-323. doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.03.014. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ghosh A., Arora B., Gupta R., Anoop S., Misra A. Effects of nationwide lockdown during COVID-19 epidemic on lifestyle and other medical issues of patients with type 2 diabetes in north India [Published online ahead of print, June 2020] Diabetes Metab. Syndr. 2020;14(5):917–920. doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.05.044. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms