Maintaining changes in physical activity among type 2 diabetics - A systematic review of rehabilitation interventions

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing worldwide, and physical activity (PA) is a suitable way of preventing and managing the disease. However, improving long-term levels of PA in people with T2DM is a challenge and the best approach to rehabilitation in this regard is unknown. With the aim of outlining the existing knowledge regarding the maintenance of active lifestyles among people with T2DM after rehabilitation programs and gaining knowledge about options and challenges for their long-term engagement in PA, a systematic review of original research articles assessing PA after rehabilitation programs was conducted. Two thousand two hundred and forty-one articles were identified through PubMed or secondary sources and subjected to various inclusion criteria. Only articles published between the 1st of January 2000 and the 30th of June 2020 were considered. Additionally, the minimum time frame from intervention start to last PA assessment was 6 months and only articles based on interventions performed in Europe were included. The review was based on eighteen randomized controlled trials, four randomized trials without control, and four case studies. The 26 articles described 30 interventions that were categorized as personalized counseling, generalized teaching, supervised exercise, or a combination of personalized and generalized interventions. Statistical and narrative syntheses revealed no clear pattern regarding the effectiveness in eliciting maintained changes in PA. However, across categories, individual involvement, goal setting, social support, and the formation of habits are argued to be important components in sustaining PA and relieving challenges associated with the transition out of rehabilitation programs.

Cost of Treating Skin Problems in Patients with Diabetes Who Use Insulin Pumps and/or Glucose Sensors

Background: The use of insulin pump and glucose sensor is advantageous, but unfortunately many experience skin problems. To reduce or overcome skin problems, patients use additional products or change their sets preterm. Therefore, the aim was to investigate costs related to skin problems. Materials and Methods: Two hundred sixty-three patients from four different hospitals in Denmark participated in a cross-sectional survey about skin problems related to insulin pump and/or glucose sensor use. Additional costs aside technology and diabetes treatment were calculated based on adhesives, patches, lotion, and preterm shifts of infusion or sensor sets due to skin problems. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were used. Results: The total costs for all these expenses were 11493.9 U.S. dollars (USD) in 145 pediatric patients and 4843 USD in 118 adult patients. The costs were higher in patients with, than without, skin problems and for skin problems due to the glucose sensor compared with insulin pump. Pediatric patients with eczema and/or wound due to the glucose sensor did cost 154.3 USD more, than patients without these skin problems (P < 0.01). We found a clear dose/response relationship between costs and severity of skin problems, especially in pediatric patients. Conclusions: Our data show that skin problems due to use of insulin pump and/or glucose sensor have significant costs on the Danish welfare system. This leaves an economic incentive for developing more skin-sensitive adhesive for the infusion set and sensors, at least for a certain subgroup of patients.

Components of diabetes prevalence in Denmark 1996-2016 and future trends until 2030

INTRODUCTION

Incidence rates of diabetes have been increasing and mortality rates have been decreasing. Our aim is the quantification of the effects of these on the prevalence and prediction of the future burden of diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

From population-based registers of Denmark, we derived diabetes incidence and mortality rates and mortality rates for persons without diabetes for the period 1996-2016. Rates were modeled by smooth parametric terms using Poisson regression. Estimated rates were used to assess the relative contribution of incidence and mortality to changes in prevalence over the study period as well as for prediction of future rates and prevalence 2017-2040.

RESULTS

The major contributors to prevalence was increasing incidence (22%) and epidemiological imbalance between incidence and mortality (27%). The decrease in mortality rates over the period 1996-2016 contributes only 9% of the prevalent cases at 2016. We estimated that 467 000 persons in Denmark would be living with diabetes in 2030. The age distribution of patients in the period 2017-2030 is predicted to change toward older ages. The total number of persons needing diabetes care will increase by 67% over the next 13 years, an average annual increase of 4.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

Lowering mortality among patients with diabetes even further is not likely to influence the prevalence substantially. Since the size and the increase in incidence of diabetes are major drivers of the increasing prevalence, the prevention of new cases of diabetes is required.

Socioeconomic inequality of diabetes patients' health care utilization in Denmark

Understanding socioeconomic inequalities in health care is critical for achieving health equity. The aim of this paper is threefold: 1) to quantify inequality in diabetes health care service utilization; 2) to understand determinants of these inequalities in relation to socio-demographic and clinical morbidity factors; and 3) to compare the empirical outcome of using income level and educational level as proxies for Socio Economic Status (SES).Data on the entire Danish population of diabetes patients in 2011 (N = 318,729) were applied. Patients' unique personal identification number enabled individual patient data from several national registers to be linked. A concentration index approach with decomposition into contributing factors was applied. Differences in diabetes patients' health care utilization patterns suggest that use of services differ among patients of lower and higher SES, despite the Danish universal health care system. Especially, out-patient services, rehabilitation and specialists in primary care show different utilization patterns according to SES. Comparison of the empirical outcome from using educational level and income level as proxy for patients' SES indicate important differences in inequality estimates. While income, alike other measures of labor market attachment, to a certain extent is explained by morbidity and thus endogenous, education is more decisive for patients' ability to take advantage of the more specialized services provided in a universal health care system.

Social inequality in diabetes patients' morbidity patterns from diagnosis to death - A Danish register-based investigation

AIM

Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in health and health care, and understanding determinants of such inequalities, are critical for achieving higher equity in health. Equity in health is a prerequisite for public health and welfare. The aim of the paper is (1) to quantify inequality in diabetes morbidity patterns over patients' entire life span, and (2) to compare levels of inequality measured through income and educational level, respectively, as proxies for socioeconomic status (SES).

METHOD

Historic individual register data on the entire Danish diabetes population alive in 2011 were gathered. Cox survival analysis and a concentration index decomposition approach were applied to analyse relevant morbidity indicators reflecting patients' health state at diagnosis and throughout their lives with diabetes.

RESULTS

Patients with high education have approximately 26% lower mortality hazard when diagnosed with diabetes and 10-15% lower hazard of developing complications as compared with patients with short education. The outcome variables: 'severe complications at diagnosis' and 'years with severe complications' inhibit the highest negative concentration index value, indicating that morbidity is concentrated among the lower SES groups, whereas the outcome variables 'years without complications' and 'duration of diabetes' concentrate among the socioeconomically better-off patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant differences in diabetes patients' morbidity patterns and survival indicate that diabetes impacts harder on patients of lower SES; these patients experience more severe complications and die earlier. Hence to reduce inequality in health, it is important to invest in efforts targeted towards socially vulnerable groups.