Perceived Changes in Emotions, Worries and Everyday Behaviors in Children and Adolescents Aged 5–18 Years with Type 1 Diabetes during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID15717159
AuthorsAnastasia Sfinari (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, corresponding author), Panagiota Pervanidou (0000-0002-6593-6489, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Giorgos Chouliaras (0000-0001-6505-3486, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Emmanouil Zoumakis (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Ioannis Anargyros Vasilakis (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Nicolas C Nicolaides (0000-0001-8260-1309, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Christina Kanaka‐Gantenbein (0000-0001-6942-6470, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
Year2022
Volume9
Issue5
Pages736-736
Publication date2022-05-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChildren (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/children9050736
PMID35626913
OpenAlexW4280497318
LanguageEN
References cited55

The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictive measures may be related to increased stress and anxiety and to changes in daily behaviors. Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are a vulnerable group due to their difficulties in achieving glycemic control and to their medical and psychological comorbidities. The purpose of the current study was to the investigate the changes on emotional and behavioral parameters in children with T1D due to the Coronavirus crisis. A total of 152 children and adolescents, aged 5−18, were studied: 114 (62 boys) with T1D and 38 (19 boys) healthy volunteers (HV) (controls). The study was performed at the Diabetes Center, Aghia Sofia Children’s Hospital, during the first national lockdown in Greece. The CRISIS questionnaire was completed by parents/caregivers. The data were collected in May 2020 and referred to two time-points: three months prior (before the pandemic), and the past two weeks. During the lockdown, it was observed significant aggravation in the “Emotion/Worries (EW)” symptoms in both groups (logEW-before vs. logEW-during the crisis, T1D: 2.66 ± 0.23 vs. 3.00 ± 0.21, p < 0.001 and HV: 2.62 ± 0.16 vs. 2.83 ± 0.18, p < 0.001). Deterioration of “ΕW” was recorded for 93.0% of those with T1D and 92.1% of the HV. “EW” during the lockdown were affected by: previous psychological condition, COVID-related concerns, and “Life Changes due to the COVID-19 crisis in the past two weeks (LC)”. Deterioration was observed in the “daily behaviors” and “use of digital media” for all of the children. The crisis and the associated restrictions negatively affected both the lifestyle parameters and the behavioral and emotional variables of the children with T1D

Anxiety · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Diabetes mellitus · Disease · Glycemic · Pandemic · Psychiatry · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Type 1 diabetes · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Diabetes Management and Research · Health and Lifestyle Studies · Medicine · Psychology · Internal Medicine