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Clinical Trial
. 2022 Apr;48(2):87-97.
doi: 10.1177/26350106221076037. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

Experiences of Hispanic Safety Net Clinic Patients With Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Katherine D Vickery  1   2   3 , Paul J Novotny  4 , Becky R Ford  1 , Kiley Lantz  4 , Silvio Kavistan  1 , Davinder Singh  4   5 , Valentina Hernandez  5 , Irene G Sia  4 , Mark L Wieland  4
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Experiences of Hispanic Safety Net Clinic Patients With Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Katherine D Vickery et al. Sci Diabetes Self Manag Care. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterize the material, health (general and diabetes-specific), and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes who did not experience COVID-19 infection.

Methods: This cross-sectional and longitudinal study used surveys within a clinical trial of 79 Hispanic adult clinic patients with type 2 diabetes. Cross-sectional measures included the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, items from the Coronavirus Impact Scale, and the Pandemic Impacts Inventory. Longitudinal measures included the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care, health care utilization, and measures of diabetes self-efficacy, social support, and quality of life.

Results: Participants were majority low-income, Spanish-speaking females with poor diabetes control. Coronavirus anxiety was low despite majority of participants having an affected family member and frequent access barriers. More than half of participants reported moderate/severe pandemic impact on their income. Diabetes self-care behaviors did not change between prepandemic and pandemic measures. Diabetes self-efficacy and quality of life improved despite fewer diabetes-related health care visits.

Conclusions: Despite high levels of access barriers, financial strain, and COVID-19 infection of family members, Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes continued to prioritize their diabetes self-management and demonstrated substantial resilience by improving their self-efficacy and quality of life.

Keywords: COVID-19; immigrant and refugee health; social determinants of health; type 2 diabetes.

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