Objectively Measured Physical Activity of Vietnamese Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Opportunities to Intervene

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J Prev Med Public Health. 2019;52(2):101-108

Publication date (electronic) : 2019 February 22

doi : https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.18.213

Vuong Van Do^,1, Jonine Jancey², Ngoc Minh Pham^2,3, Chung Thanh Nguyen⁴, Minh Van Hoang¹, Andy H. Lee²

¹Center for Population Health Sciences, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam

²School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, Vietnam

³Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Nguyen, Vietnam

⁴National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam

Corresponding author: Vuong Van Do, MPH Center for Population Health Sciences, Hanoi University of Public Health, 1A Duc Thang Road, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam E-mail: dvv@huph.edu.vn

Received 2018 September 7; Accepted 2019 January 15.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes is now a global epidemic; it was estimated to afflict around 415 million people worldwide in 2015 and its burden is projected to rise to 642 million by 2040 [1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this epidemic is mostly due to the increase in type 2 diabetes (T2D), which accounts for 90% of all cases of diabetes [2]. Notably, the number of people with diabetes in Southeast Asia has increased dramatically from 17 million in 1980 to 96 million in 2014 [3]. A significant economic burden, including direct costs, is incurred by patients, their families and the health care sector, while indirect costs related to productivity are also consequences of this rise in T2D and its associated complications [3,4].

Physical activity (PA) is an integral part of T2D prevention and management. In particular, moderate-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA have been shown to reduce T2D risk by 49% [5]. Additionally, structured exercise training can improve glycaemic control in diabetic patients, with a 0.67% reduction in hemoglobin A_1C levels [6]. Given the health benefits of PA, the WHO recommends adults to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity PA or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity PA per week to maintain health and prevent the development of chronic diseases [7]. Similarly, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) advises adults with diabetes to undertake this amount of weekly PA, as well as recommending participation in resistance training 3 times per week [8].

However, information about levels of PA among individuals newly diagnosed with T2D in developing countries remains limited [9,10]. Previous research conducted in developed countries has mostly relied on self-reported questionnaires [11-13]. Self-reported measurements, such as the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), are valuable, but they are prone to recall bias and the effects of social desirability or social approval [14]. Moreover, a study undertaken in Canada indicated that men and women with diabetes have different psychosocial, behavioural, and clinical characteristics that affect their attitudes and behaviour towards self-care, which may impact their health outcomes [15]. Indeed, gender can modify the relationship between T2D and PA, as women with T2D have been found to be less likely to achieve the recommended PA guidelines than their non-T2D counterparts [16]. Nevertheless, there is scant evidence about T2D and gender differences in PA engagement, particularly in developing countries.

Vietnam, a developing country in Southeast Asia, has been undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition. T2D has emerged as a priority public health issue, with 1 in 14 Vietnamese adults predicted to have T2D by 2035 [17]. Previous studies have examined PA levels among the general Vietnamese population using self-reported measures [18,19], but none have focused specifically on adults with T2D and none have used objective PA measures. The purpose of this study was to objectively determine and compare PA levels between adults newly diagnosed with T2D and adults without T2D in Vietnam using accelerometers. We hypothesised that adults with T2D would have lower levels of PA than their counterparts without T2D.

METHODS

RESULTS

Table 1 presents the characteristics of all participants according to gender and T2D status. Overall, participants with T2D had a significantly higher prevalence of ever smoking and a family history of T2D, a higher BMI, and higher SBP and DBP than their counterparts without T2D. There was no difference between the 2 groups in terms of education level, marital status, waist-hip ratio, total cholesterol, or alcohol consumption. Men with diabetes had a significantly higher prevalence of ever smoking and a family history of T2D, as well as higher SBP and DBP, than men without T2D. Compared to women without T2D, those with T2D were more likely to have a family history of T2D, a higher BMI, and higher SBP and DBP. In contrast, no significant differences were observed for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors.

Table 1.

Characteristics of participants by gender and type 2 diabetes (T2D) status

Table 2 shows the wearing time, PA levels, and prevalence of meeting the recommended WHO and IDF PA guidelines. On average, participants wore the accelerometer device for more than 14 hr/d. There was no difference in wearing time between the T2D and non-T2D groups in either the crude or adjusted model. Although all PA parameters (i.e., step count, light-intensity, moderate-intensity, and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity) appeared to be lower among T2D participants without adjustment for covariates, only the daily step count and light-intensity PA remained significantly different between the 2 groups after accounting for the effects of confounding factors. In the stratified analysis, men with T2D engaged in fewer steps and spent less time at all PA levels than men without T2D, and also had more sedentary time on a daily basis. In contrast, women with T2D took more daily steps than women without T2D, although no apparent differences were found for the other PA variables. A significant interaction was observed between gender and T2D status for light-intensity PA only (p_interaction=0.01).

Table 2.

Daily accelerometer-measured PA levels, wearing time, step count, and percentage meeting PA recommendations (WHO & IDF)

Table 2 shows that only 59.2% of the participants with T2D met the minimum recommended level of PA, compared to 74.2% of the participants without T2D (p<0.05). Stratification by gender further revealed that men with T2D (63.3%) were significantly less likely (p=0.03) to meet the recommended PA level than men without T2D (81.7%). The corresponding prevalence for women was lower (55.0% and 66.7%, respectively), although the difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.45). Overall, just over one-quarter (26.7%) of T2D participants achieved the WHO recommendation for sufficient PA to obtain ‘additional health benefits’, in contrast to 36.7% for those without T2D. Compared to adults without T2D, those with T2D were 50.0% less likely to achieve the PA recommendations, and there was no evidence of interaction between gender and T2D status. However, the proportion of those who engaged in enough PA to achieve additional health benefits was not significantly different between the 2 groups.

DISCUSSION

This study investigated PA levels in adults newly diagnosed with T2D in Vietnam. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such study using accelerometers to objectively measure PA levels of adults with T2D and without T2D in a developing country. The results showed that adults with T2D accumulated fewer steps and spent less time on light PA per day than adults without T2D. In particular, men with T2D engaged in less PA than their non-T2D counterparts, and a lower proportion of adults with T2D met the recommended PA guidelines for health benefits.

Our finding that adults with T2D were less physically active is consistent with the few studies previously undertaken in developed countries [11,13,16]. However, the proportion of participants attaining the PA recommendation was higher than those reported in Lebanon (n=2195) [13] and Australia (n=629) [16]. The Lebanese study used the self-reported IPAQ short version to measure PA and found that 44.4% of participants with T2D exceeded 150 minutes of moderate PA per week, while 29.7% of participants with T2D in the Australian study met the PA guidelines as measured by pedometers. This disparity may be attributed to differences in socioeconomic status between countries, since people from lower-income countries tend to be more active than those from high-income countries [28,29]. As an alternate possibility, our findings were based on the use of accelerometers as a measurement tool. Accelerometers are considered to be an objective, practical, and accurate way of measuring the volume and intensity of the PA [30].

We observed significantly lower PA levels among only man participants with T2D. Evidence of effect modification by gender on the association between T2D and PA remains scarce in the literature. A previous study of 629 Australians (293 with T2D and 336 without T2D) reported no significant difference in pedometer-measured daily step counts between men with and without T2D [16]. This discrepancy may be due to differences in cultural, socio-demographic, and environmental factors, or the type of PA measuring instrument. In addition, our finding of a positive association between T2D and daily step count in women is contrary to the aforementioned Australian study that reported a significantly higher number of steps per day among women without T2D. Women with T2D may have excessive cardiovascular risk compared to men with diabetes [16], and thus their underlying cardiometabolic abnormalities may have hampered them from engaging frequently in PA. In the present study, it is plausible that Vietnamese women with T2D are more health-conscious than men [31] and may seek medical advice [32] to manage their diabetes, leading to more frequent engagement in PA [33].

It has been suggested that individuals with diabetes have poor physical condition, functional limitations [34], and frequent sensations of fatigue [35], which prevent them from being physically active. In addition, a qualitative study of patients with dysregulated diabetes and complications or other comorbidities reported that lack of professional guidance, lack of accessibility to exercise facilities, and lack of awareness of where or how to exercise were major barriers to PA [34]. Adults newly diagnosed with T2D may not experience physical constraints; however, changing well-established habits, negative perceptions of the ‘new’ or recommended diabetes regimen, together with a lack of knowledge and understanding of how to live with T2D may act as barriers to being physically active [36]. Longitudinal and large-scale studies are needed to ascertain factors affecting PA engagement by adults with T2D in Vietnam.

Participation in PA can be affected by individual aspects and socio-environmental support [37,38]. Research has indicated that physicians play a key role in increasing the PA levels of adults with diabetes [13,39]. In particular, physicians can help patients newly diagnosed with diabetes restore their confidence through education on the management of their condition [39]. It has been reported that adults with T2D are more likely to engage in PA than adults without T2D, after receiving the same advice from physicians [13]. However, an Australian study (n=1799) indicated that only 18.0% of patients received PA recommendations from their general practitioners [40]. Therefore, ready opportunities exist for physicians to become involved in PA education for adults with T2D.

The major strength of our study was the use of accelerometers to provide reliable and valid estimations of different intensity levels of PA. Moreover, only adults newly diagnosed with T2D were selected to avoid the longer-term impacts of the disease on PA levels. We acknowledge that our convenience sample limited the generalizability of the findings. However, all participants were recruited from the same large hospital that serves the entire Hanoi catchment region, making the study population reasonably representative. Nonetheless, the lack of information about prior PA history made it difficult to assess possible changes in PA after the T2D diagnosis. Finally, the results observed in a cross-sectional study do not necessarily indicate a causal relationship between T2D and PA.

In conclusion, Vietnamese adults with newly diagnosed T2D, especially men, were found to be less physically active and less likely to achieve the WHO and IDF recommended PA levels than others without the condition. As such, designing and promoting integrated PA education programs (home-based, community-based, or hospital-based for individuals with T2D in the early stages after diagnosis are imperative to the self-management of the disease, with implications for its progression and potential complications. Physicians should actively educate T2D patients about the important role of PA in the management of their condition. Future research examining barriers to achieving PA recommendations among newly diagnosed T2D patients is required in order to develop effective primary care interventions.

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