Physical activity patterns in Maltese adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Introduction: The incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Malta (12.2%) is double that recorded in the rest of Europe (6.3%). This is highly linked to the increased incidence of obesity. Physical activity (PA) has been reported to be beneficial in the management of T2DM Objective: The study aimed to collect information on the quality and quantity of PA carried out by Maltese people living with T2DM, to gain a better insight into adopted patterns and behaviours. Research Design: This was a cross-sectional study where PA patterns were collected using the IPAQ from a sample of 104 participants. In addition, data was gathered from a smaller subgroup of seven of these participants via wearable accelerometers. All data including demographics was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Results: The sample was representative of the population of Maltese persons living with T2DM with a confidence level of 95% and a confidence interval of 9.5. 47.5% (n=47) were found to be obese, 33.3% (n=33) were overweight and 8.1% (n=8) were morbidly obese. Although statistically insignificant the trend line suggests that younger individuals have higher BMI scores. 89.9% (n=90) meet the recommended weekly amount of PA through the four domains of daily activity. The greatest contributor to the total amount of PA is housework for females and work for males. 19% (n=19) carried out moderate amounts of exercise during leisure time. The total amount of PA carried out is negatively correlated to age (p=0.004) but not to BMI or gender. It appears that amounts of physical activity are adequately reported and sedentary time is underreported. A low activity score was recorded in terms of step count. Discussion and Implications: Maltese people living with T2DM appear to meet the recommended levels of PA but the increased levels of T2DM, obesity and sedentary time prevail. An in-depth differentiation between PA and exercise within the gold standard recommendations requires closer consideration. Measurements of patterns of PA and sedentary time should be considered as an integral part of the management of T2DM in Malta.