TY - JOUR

T1 - Changes in health, lifestyle, and wellbeing of children with type 1 diabetes and their parents during the pandemic

AU - Alazmi, Afrah

AU - Viktor, Simon

AU - Erjavec, Mihela

PY - 2024/10/26

Y1 - 2024/10/26

N2 - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have substantially affected people's health and rapidly changed their daily routines. This is a prospective study that investigated the impact of the pandemic on primary school children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents during the first lockdown in Kuwait.Methods: A questionnaire battery related to mental health, well-being, and lifestyle was administered at baseline in Summer 2019 (face-to-face, at a diabetes outpatient clinic) and at follow-up during lockdown in Summer 2020 (via telephone, in adherence with COVID-19 restrictions). Data were collected for 70 dyads with children aged 9-12 years.Results: Significant differences were found in most scores for both children and parents. Their mental health worsened to a higher level of depression, anxiety, stress, and a poor level of wellbeing. The average scores on the follow-up tests fell within a clinical range on these measures. Significant differences in their lifestyle, compared to before the lockdown, included decreased levels of physical activity and lower healthy core nutritional intake.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant psychological and possibly physiological impact on children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents. We conclude that there is a need for mental health support services focusing on these groups. Although full lockdown restrictions will have stopped in the past year, post-pandemic stressors may be expected to continue to adversely affect this cohort.Keywords: Chronic disease; Covid-19; Diabetes; Mental health; Parenting; Wellbeing.

AB - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have substantially affected people's health and rapidly changed their daily routines. This is a prospective study that investigated the impact of the pandemic on primary school children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents during the first lockdown in Kuwait.Methods: A questionnaire battery related to mental health, well-being, and lifestyle was administered at baseline in Summer 2019 (face-to-face, at a diabetes outpatient clinic) and at follow-up during lockdown in Summer 2020 (via telephone, in adherence with COVID-19 restrictions). Data were collected for 70 dyads with children aged 9-12 years.Results: Significant differences were found in most scores for both children and parents. Their mental health worsened to a higher level of depression, anxiety, stress, and a poor level of wellbeing. The average scores on the follow-up tests fell within a clinical range on these measures. Significant differences in their lifestyle, compared to before the lockdown, included decreased levels of physical activity and lower healthy core nutritional intake.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant psychological and possibly physiological impact on children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents. We conclude that there is a need for mental health support services focusing on these groups. Although full lockdown restrictions will have stopped in the past year, post-pandemic stressors may be expected to continue to adversely affect this cohort.Keywords: Chronic disease; Covid-19; Diabetes; Mental health; Parenting; Wellbeing.

U2 - 10.1186/s40359-024-02102-z

DO - 10.1186/s40359-024-02102-z

M3 - Article

VL - 12

JO - BMC Psychology

JF - BMC Psychology

SN - 2050-7283

IS - 1

M1 - 593

ER -