Abstract:
Background. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease caused by the destruction of pancreatic beta
cells. Observational and experimental studies have highlighted that moderate aerobic exercise in diabetic patients,
interspersed with periods of high-intensity physical activity, are effective in reducing the rate of hypoglycemia and
influence positively the evolution of diseases complications.
The aim of the study was to assess peculiarities of physical activity in a group of children and adolescents with T1DM
and non-diabetic controls based on the estimation of the Metabolic Equivalent of Task indicator, and to evaluate effects
of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity of diabetic patients.
Material and methods. The study was conducted on a cohort of 53 children, of which 23 with T1DM hospitalized in the
period between January 15, 2021 and March 20, 2021 to the Endocrinology Unit of the Institute for Maternal and Child
Healthcare. The control group included 30 non-diabetic children, hospitalized in the same time and same hospital due
to trauma or acute surgical disease. Individuals included in the study were aged from 9 to 17 years, leaving in both
urban and rural areas. The Metabolic Equivalent of Task indicator was studied based on a questionnaire wich included
20 items selected from the Compendium of Physical Activities [3].
Results and discussion. Results of the study show that patients with T1DM aged from 9 to 11 years more frequently
participate at dance classes, household activities and do stretching exercices at school comparing to diabetic adolescents
(MET 8,00±2,80 vs 1,60±0,79 (p<0,05); MET 15,25±5,08 vs 1,94±0,75 (p<0,05); MET 2,11±0,28 vs 0,90±0,16 (p<0,05),
accordingly). In the pre-pandemic COVID-19 times children with diabetes of 9-11 years more frequently were riding
a bycicle and were participating actively at sports classes at school (MET 19,22±6,24 and 2,11±0,28 vs 4,16±1,71 and
0,97±0,23; accordingly; p<0,05); patients from urban areas went for walks more often as comparing to pandemic
period (MET 31,97±8,74 vs 13,62±4,26; p=0,07).
Conclusion. Utilization of simple screening tools to assess the level of physical activity in children with type 1 diabetes,
similar to the questionnaire developed and applied in our study, allows a better understanding of the metabolic profile
in patients of different ages, which may play an important role in controlling glycemic profile and preventing diabetes
complications.
