Perceived Changes in General Well-being: Findings from the 'MOVEdiabetes' Physical Activity Randomized Control Trial

Studies have consistently reported the health benefits of physical activity (PA) in diabetes care. Our study aimed to explore perceptions of general well-being in participants of the 'MOVEdiabetes' intervention aimed at increasing PA in adults with type 2 diabetes in Oman.

'MOVEdiabetes' is a cluster-randomized study where participants in the intervention group (IG) received PA consultations, pedometers, and WhatsApp messages versus the usual care in the control group (CG). At baseline and 12 months, perceptions on well-being were assessed using an English translated to Arabic 13-item questionnaire. Between groups differences in responses were compared using chi-squared tests. Spearman correlation analysis was utilized to explore associations between changes in responses and self-reported PA levels (metabolic equivalent of task.min/week).

Of the 232 participants in the 'MOVEdiabetes' study, 75.0% completed the study. Overall, findings indicate a positive effect of the intervention on perceived general health, sleep, mental health, pain, and responses to quality of life. For the IG and CG, significant associations were shown between changes in self-reported PA and general health (r = 0.70 and 0.36, p < 0.001), feeling calm/peaceful (r = 0.86 and 0.93, p < 0.001), energetic (r = 0.86 and 0.82, p < 0.001), and depressed (r = -0.35 and -0.30, p < 0.001). However, the Cronbach's alpha value was 0.50, indicating insufficient internal consistency of the assessment tool.

The intervention has a positive effect on many parameters of well-being. Further studies are needed to identify robust tools to measure associations between well-being and PA in culturally bounded Arabic speaking countries.