A recent questionnaire-based prospective study from the School of Human and Behavioural Science at Bangor University, looked at 100 children aged 8-11 with type 1 diabetes and their parents in Kuwait and compared lifestyle factors including mental health, physical activity and diet in the summer of 2019 and July 2020 during lockdown.

It found significant negative differences in both children and parents with a higher level of depression, anxiety and stress, plus decreased physical activity levels and lower nutritional intake, with a reduction in fruit and vegetable intake and an increase in 'non-core' foods.

Questionnaires used to determine nutritional intake were the Lifestyle Behaviour Checklist, which focuses on weight gain and eating activities, and the Children’s Dietary Questionnaire, which measures food over the past seven days or the past 24 hours using five subscales (fruit and vegetables, sweetened beverage, water, fat from dairy and non-core food, which means high fat, salt, or sugar food).

The study shows that the COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant psychological and possibly physiological impact on children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents. The authors conclude that there is a need for mental health support services focusing on these groups, as post-pandemic stressors may be expected to continue to adversely affect this cohort.

Limitations recognised included that of the 100 children and parent groups, only 70 completed the second questionnaire, and the general limitations of self-reporting.

Read the study here...