Peer Support for Type 2 Diabetes Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): A Scoping Review.

Background: Although there is evidence of peer support in high-income countries, the use of peer support as an intervention for cardiometabolic disease management, including type 2 diabetes (T2DM), in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is unclear. Methods: A scoping review methodology was used to search the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, LILACS, CDSR, and CENTRAL. Results: Twenty-eight studies were included in this scoping review. Of these, 67% were developed in Asia, 22% in Africa, and 11% in the Americas. The definition of peer support varied; however, peer support offered a social and emotional dimension to help individuals cope with negative emotions and barriers while promoting disease management. Conclusions: Findings from this scopingreview highlight a lack of consistency in defining peer support as a component of CMD management in LMICs. A clear definition of peer support and ongoing program evaluation is recommended for future research.

Behavior change interventions in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of the effects on self-management and A1c.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the characteristics of interventions employed to promote behavior change in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and their impact on disease self-management and glycated hemoglobin (A1c). METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to guide the protocol development for this systematic review. Randomized controlled clinical trials which compared behavior change interventions to controls in adults with T2DM and investigated disease self-management and glycated hemoglobin (A1c) measured by validated methods were eligible for this study. The risk of bias and quality of evidence was assessed respectively by Cochrane's tool and grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE). RESULTS: A total of 27 studies were included involving 4464 participants. Behavior change was mainly promoted by education sessions on diabetes care delivered face-to-face, monthly, or every other month, lasting more than 60 min, involving blood glucose monitoring, healthy eating, exercise, and medication. Four studies showed significant improvement in both disease self-management and A1c. The risk of bias was classified as high in most studies. A meta-analysis could not be performed for A1c and self-management due to the high differences in intervention parameters (delivery mode, number, duration, and frequency) and self-management assessments. CONCLUSION: Low evidence of improvement in disease self-management and A1c considering only validated assessment methods were found for behavior change interventions, mainly promoted by education sessions on diabetes care. The quality of studies and probably the differences in intervention protocols contributed to this finding. PROSPERO NUMBER: CRD42020161162.

Patient education program for Brazilians living with diabetes and prediabetes: findings from a development study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, the incidence of diabetes is increasing and strategies to reach a comprehensive approach of care are needed, including education in self-management. This is particularly true in low and middle-income countries where the number of people living with diabetes is higher than in the high-income ones. This article describes the development of a structured patient education program for Brazilians living with diabetes or prediabetes. METHODS: These steps were undertaken: 1) a 4-phase needs assessment (literature search of local diabetes guidelines, environmental scan, evaluation of information needs of patients identified by diabetes experts, and patient focus groups); and, 2) the translation and cultural adaptation of the patient guide (preparation, translation, back-translation, back-translation review, harmonization, and proofreading). RESULTS: Four of the seven guidelines identified include educational aspects of diabetes management. No structured education program was reported from the environmental scan. Regarding the information needs, 15 diabetes experts identified their patients' needs, who referred that they have high information needs for topics related to their health condition. Finally, results from six patient focus groups were clustered into six themes (self-management, physical activity, eating habits, diabetes medication, psychosocial being, and sleep), all embedded into the new education program. Constructive theory, adult learning principles, and the Health Action Process Approach model were used in program development and will be used in delivery. The developed program consists of 18 educational sessions strategically mapped and sequenced to support the program learning outcomes and a patient guide with 17 chapters organized into five sections, matched with weekly lectures. CONCLUSIONS: This program is a sequential and theoretical strategic intervention that can reach programs in Brazil to support diabetes and prediabetes patient education.

Psychometric validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of Bandura's exercise self-efficacy scale in diabetes patients.

PURPOSE: The management of diabetes comprises diet, pharmacological therapy, lifestyle counseling, patient education, and physical exercising, to achieve change in health behavior and control of the disease. However, a large proportion of diabetes patients does not adhere to treatment recommendations, mainly in the lifestyle aspect, which remains sedentary. Considering that self-efficacy is an essential determinant of health behaviors such as exercise practicing, the objective of the study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of Bandura's Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (BESES) to be used in diabetes patients. METHODS: The BESES was initially completed by thirty diabetes patients to confirm the feasibility of the answers be provided by themselves. The psychometric properties (i.e., internal consistency, test-retest reproducibility, convergent validity, and ceiling and floor effects) were tested in other two-hundred diabetes patients (≥18 years old). RESULTS: The BESES achieved significant internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.92), substantial test-retest reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.83). The convergent validity was confirmed by negative correlations between BESES total scores and barriers to exercise total scores (ρ = -0.333; P = 0.018) and rate of perception exercise corrected by distance covered in the incremental shuttle walking test (ρ = -0.426; P = 0.002). Ceiling and floor effects were not found. In addition, physically active patients had BESES total scores higher compared to sedentary (56.8 ± 21.4 vs. 47.9 ± 20.0; P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the BESES showed adequate psychometric properties and proved to be valid for assessing the exercise self-efficacy in diabetes patients in Brazil.

Effects of long-term aerobic training and detraining on functional capacity and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: A pilot study.

Although previous studies have shown the benefits of exercise training in hemodialysis patients, little is known about the effects of long-term of exercise program on these patients. We investigated the effects and the safety of long-term aerobic training and the effects of detraining on functional capacity and quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Ten patients were allocated to two groups: training and detraining. The training group completed at least 30 months of aerobic training, and the detraining group completed at least 20 months and then discontinued the training for at least 10 months. The outcomes were analyzed at baseline, after 3 months of aerobic training and at the 30-month follow-up. The training and detraining groups performed 37 (5.5) and 24 (3.0) months of aerobic training, respectively. The detraining group discontinued the training for 11.0 (2.0) months. After 3 months of aerobic training, six-minute walking test distance increased significantly in both groups (training group = 569 (287.8) vs 635.5 (277.0) m, p = 0.04; detraining group = 454.5 (72.3) vs 515.0 (91.8) m, p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in the six-minute walking test distance in the training group (576.5 (182.5), p > 0.05) and a significant decrease (436.2 (89.6) m, p = 0.04) in the detraining group at the follow-up compared to the third month of aerobic training. No significant difference was observed in quality of life during the study. No complications were found during the protocol of the exercise. These results suggest that long-term aerobic training is safe and can maintain functional capacity in hemodialysis patients. In contrast, detraining can result in loss of functional capacity in these patients.

Barriers to cardiac rehabilitation delivery in a low-resource setting from the perspective of healthcare administrators, rehabilitation providers, and cardiac patients.

BACKGROUND: Despite clinical practice guideline recommendations that cardiovascular disease patients participate, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are highly unavailable and underutilized. This is particularly true in low-resource settings, where the epidemic is at its' worst. The reasons are complex, and include health system, program and patient-level barriers. This is the first study to assess barriers at all these levels concurrently, and to do so in a low-resource setting. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data from three cohorts (healthcare administrators, CR coordinators and patients) were triangulated. Healthcare administrators from all institutions offering cardiac services, and providers from all CR programs in public and private institutions of Minas Gerais state, Brazil were invited to complete a questionnaire. Patients from a random subsample of 12 outpatient cardiac clinics and 11 CR programs in these institutions completed the CR Barriers Scale. RESULTS: Thirty-two (35.2%) healthcare administrators, 16 (28.6%) CR providers and 805 cardiac patients (305 [37.9%] attending CR) consented to participate. Administrators recognized the importance of CR, but also the lack of resources to deliver it; CR providers noted referral is lacking. Patients who were not enrolled in CR reported significantly greater barriers related to comorbidities/functional status, perceived need, personal/family issues and access than enrollees, and enrollees reported travel/work conflicts as greater barriers than non-enrollees (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The inter-relationship among barriers at each level is evident; without resources to offer more programs, there are no programs to which physicians can refer (and hence inform and encourage patients to attend), and patients will continue to have barriers related to distance, cost and transport. Advocacy for services is needed.

Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction in Offspring of Hypertensive Parents During Exercise.

Offspring of hypertensive parents present autonomic dysfunction at rest and during physiological maneuvers. However, the cardiac autonomic modulation during exercise remains unknown. This study tested whether the cardiac autonomic modulation would be reduced in offspring of hypertensive parents during exercise. Fourteen offspring of hypertensive and 14 offspring of normotensive individuals were evaluated. The groups were matched by age (24.5±1.0 vs. 26.6±1.5 years; p=0.25) and BMI (22.8±0.6 vs. 24.2±1.0 kg/m2; p=0.30). Blood pressure and heart rate were assessed simultaneously during 3 min at baseline followed by 3-min isometric handgrip at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction. Cardiac autonomic modulation was evaluated using heart rate variability. Primary variables were subjected to two-way ANOVA (group vs. time). P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Blood pressure and heart rate were similar between groups during exercise protocol. In contrast, offspring of hypertensive subjects showed a reduction of SDNN (Basal=34.8±3.5 vs. 45.2±3.7 ms; Exercise=30.8±3.3 vs. 41.5±3.9 ms; p group=0.01), RMSSD (Basal=37.1±3.7 vs. 52.0±6.0 ms; Exercise=28.6±3.4 vs. 41.9±5.3 ms; p group=0.02) and pNN50 (Basal=15.7±4.0 vs. 29.5±5.5%; Exercise=7.7±2.4 vs. 18.0±4.3%; p group=0.03) during the exercise protocol in comparison with offspring of normotensive parents. We concluded that normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents exhibit impaired cardiac autonomic modulation during exercise.