Impact of COVID-19 related home confinement measures on the lifestyle, body weight, and perceived glycemic control of diabetics

BACKGROUND: People with Diabetes Mellitus are at high risk of encountering COVID-19 infection and are more vulnerable to the negative repercussions of this infection. In this study we aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 related home confinement measures on physical activity, dietary habits, body weight and perceived glycemic control of adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Qatar. METHODS: A cross sectional web-based survey was conducted between January and February 2021 targeting adults ≥18 years with T2DM. RESULTS: Over 40% of the participants reported unhealthy dietary changes. We found a significant increase in the sitting/reclining, and screen times. One third of the participants reported weight gain, while one fifth reported poorer glycemic control since the start of home confinement measures. We found that reporting at least one unhealthy dietary change (p < 0.001) and being a female (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with reporting greater weight gain. Participants who reported five unhealthy dietary behaviours were more than seven times more likely to perceive poorer glycemic control during home confinement measures compared to those who did not report any unhealthy changes (OR: 7.27, 95%CI 1.60–33.5, p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Adults with T2DM experienced adverse lifestyle changes during COVID-19 related home confinement measures. Further research is needed to investigate the persistence of such changes in the post pandemic era.