Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2025
A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
Association of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak on the Diabetes Self-Management in Chinese Patients: An
Linyan Huang1, Li Zhang1,2, Shuiping Jiang1
1Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted diabetes self-management in Chinese patients, leading to poorer glycemic control and increased stress. Future interventions should prioritize online diabetes management and consultations to overcome physical barriers.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted daily life, particularly for individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
- Social distancing measures implemented during the pandemic may hinder essential diabetes self-management activities, impacting glycemic control and complication risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the level of diabetes self-management activities among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- A survey involving 872 T2DM patients was conducted via face-to-face interviews between July 1 and September 30, 2020.
- Key outcome measures included glycaemic control status (fasting plasma glucose, postprandial plasma glucose, HbA1c) and self-management activity levels during the pandemic.
Main Results:
- A significant portion of patients had suboptimal glycemic control (e.g., HbA1c <7.0% in 18.6%).
- The overall diabetes self-management score decreased to 3.4 ± 1.45, with higher scores observed in patients with better education, diabetes education, comorbidities, and those utilizing online consultations.
- 72.1% reduced hospital visits, and 44.8% reported diabetes-related stress, with a mean anxiety score of 5.3±2.8.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected diabetes self-management, resulting in poorer glycemic control, increased stress, and reduced healthcare access.
- There is a need for enhanced online chronic disease management strategies and promotion of online consultations to provide convenient, personalized care and overcome geographical limitations.
Background:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has seriously affected people's lives, especially those with chronic diseases. Diabetes self-management, which plays an important role in glycaemic control and reducing the risk of acute and long-term complications, may be discouraged by social distancing.
Purpose:
To evaluate the level of self-management activities in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients And Methods:
A survey of with 872 patients with T2DM in the inpatient and outpatient departments through face-to-face interviews was conducted from 1 July, 2020 to 30 September, 2020. The main outcome measures were glycaemic control status and level of self-management activities during the pandemic.
Results:
In terms of glycaemic control, the data showed that patients with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) < 7.0 mmol/L (36.4%), postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) < 10.0 mmol/L (26.3%), or glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) < 7.0% (18.6%) in our investigation has well-controlled blood glucose level, and 11.9% of patients experienced blood glucose <3.9 mmol/L during the outbreak. The diabetes self-management of Chinese patients decreased and the final diabetes self-management score of the Chinese patients was 3.4 ± 1.45. Patients with higher education, diabetes education, comorbidities, and online consultations had higher diabetes self-management scores (P <0.05). Adherence to diabetes self-management in the normal glycaemic control group was higher than that in the substandard glycaemic control group (P<0.05). Among all participants, 72.1% of the patients reduced the frequency of hospital visits, and 44.8% considered that they had diabetes-related stress during the pandemic. The mean anxiety level score rated by 286 patients was 5.3±2.8.
Conclusion:
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected diabetes self-management, including substandard glycemic control, increased diabetes-related stress, limited exercise range and medical visits. Therefore, future interventions should focus on the online management of chronic diseases and support online consultation' development and promotion, which can overcome physical distance and provide personalized services conveniently.
More Related Videos
07:22Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes
Published on: March 7, 2025
06:50A High-Throughput Electrochemiluminescence 7-Plex Assay Simultaneously Screening for Type 1 Diabetes and Multiple Autoimmune Diseases
Published on: May 29, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:15Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
01:20Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
01:30Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction