Self-care in migrants with type 2 diabetes, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sara Pettersson, Tiny Jaarsma, Klara Hedgärd and 1 others
PMID 36353793WHAT IT FOUND
Migrant patients with type 2 diabetes changed self-care during the pandemic, especially activity and diet.
Many still took medicines, but wanted letters, more contact, home blood-sugar checks, and tools for foot care and glucose monitoring.
Key findings
0176% changed at least one self-care behavior, especially active lifestyle (58%), exercise (40%), and avoiding getting sick (38%).
0220% scored below the 70-point cut-off for adequate self-care maintenance, although 87% always took prescribed medicines.
0358% preferred information about healthcare changes by letter, and patients asked for foot-care material and blood glucose monitors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 79 patients answered the questionnaire, a response rate of 24%, so non-responders may have been different from those included. Patients who could not understand Swedish, Arabic, Bosnian, or Spanish, or who could not complete the questionnaire, were excluded, so people with lower literacy or other languages may not be represented. The study was a one-time survey, so it cannot show why self-care changed or whether the requested supports would improve diabetes control. There was no comparison group of native-born patients with type 2 diabetes, so the findings describe this migrant sample rather than differences from the wider diabetes population. All measures were self-reported from one health center in south-eastern Sweden.
Declared interests
This research received no specific grant. The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that pandemic restrictions caused poor self-care or that letters and home visits improve diabetes control. It was a one-time survey with a 24% response rate, so it describes what patients reported and wanted, not what caused their changes or what would work best.