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Zupa MF, Perez S, Palmisano G, Kieffer EC, Piatt GA, Valbuena FM, Deverts DJ, Yabes JG, Heisler M, Rosland AM. Changes in Self-management During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes at a Federally Qualified Health Center. Journal of immigrant and minority health. 2022 Oct 1; 24(5):1375-1378.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected how adults with diabetes perform self-management, and impacts may be greater among vulnerable populations. We assessed the impact of the pandemic on diabetes self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes at a Federally Qualified Health Center. Participants were surveyed by phone in Spanish and English from July to October of 2020. Most respondents (74%) were Latino and preferred to speak Spanish, with mean age of 54 years and mean HbA1c of 9.2%. Fifty-three percent reported less physical activity during the pandemic. While 43% had more difficulty obtaining healthy food, 38% reported eating more healthfully. Sixty-one percent had increased difficulty accessing medical care. Many felt more socially isolated (49%) and stressed (51%). Changes in diabetes self-management were both positive and negative for majority Latino patients in this low-resource community, which may require tailored approaches to mitigate negative impacts of the pandemic on physical and mental health.