Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak in Healthcare of People with Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

AIM: The aim was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the healthcare of Type 2 Diabetes patients and identify the factors that correlated. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2020 to February 2021. The study enrolled 400 adults with Type 2 diabetes aged 40–65 years with at least one other chronic illness who received primary care health services in Vlore, Albania. A short questionnaire based on the literature, considering the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, was used for data collection. The administration of the questionnaire was carried out by trained nurses. All participants give their written informed consent before administering the questionnaire. Pearson’s two-tailed correlations and linear regression were used to test the correlations. RESULTS: Among 400 patients with Type 2 Diabetes in the study, 53.0% were female and 47.0% were men. Most of the participants were married (n = 303) with a high level of edcation (54.3%). Treatment was mainly with oral medications (58.0%). Based on the body mass index (BMI), 63.0% of the participants were overweight. Employment status (p = 003), the type of treatment, oral medication versus insulin (p = 001), BMI (p = 001), and living alone (p = 008) were the most correlated factors. CONCLUSIONS: The care of Type 2 Diabetic patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic is closely associated with social determinants of health and the resources of health-care settings. The need to address innovative approaches to care, including self-care, social support, and e-health, is recommended.