Objective: Prior reports using the validated Barriers to Physical Activity in Diabetes (type 1) [BAPAD1] scale showed fear of hypoglycemia was the strongest barrier to regular physical activity (PA) in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This was before the higher prevalence of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use today.

Methods: Twenty adults with T1D enrolling in an exercise tracking study completed the BAPAD1, reporting perceived barriers to regular PA on a scale of 1 (extremely unlikely) to 7 (extremely likely). All used insulin pumps. Fifteen of the 20 were current CGM users.

Results: Baseline characteristics were age 44.9±15.0 years, F/M 12/8, HbA1c 6.8±0.7%, and diabetes duration 22.9±15.9 years. Mean BAPAD1 score was 2.55±1.05. The highest scores were for risk of hypoglycemia (4.00±1.78) and work schedule (3.70±2.00), with current CGM users reporting higher overall scores than non-CGM users (2.71±1.04 vs. 2.10±1.07, p=0.28). Significantly higher scores were reported by CGM users for “The fear of being tired” (p=0.01), “The fact that you have diabetes” (p=0.03), and “The location of a gym” (p=0.04) (Table 1). Greater barrier scores for work schedule were associated with lower age (r=-0.5, p=0.02).

Conclusions: CGM use was not associated with lower perceived barriers to regular PA, suggesting additional interventions beyond providing ways to measure glucose are needed to reduce these barriers in people with T1D.
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Disclosure

C.C. Andre: None. Y.C. Kudva: Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. Other Relationship; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Roche Diabetes Care, Tandem Diabetes Care. V. Dadlani: None. M. Cescon: None. S.K. McCrady-Spitzer: None. M. Church: None. C. Reid: None. K. Kumari: None. D. Choudhary: None. F.J. Doyle: Consultant; Self; ModeAGC. Other Relationship; Self; Insulet Corporation. E. Dassau: Consultant; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Insulet Corporation. Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., DreaMed Diabetes, Ltd., Insulet Corporation, Roche Diabetes Care, Tandem Diabetes Care, Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Roche Diabetes Care. Other Relationship; Self; ModAGC. J.E. Pinsker: Research Support; Self; Ascensia Diabetes Care, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, LifeScan, Inc., Roche Diabetes Care, Tandem Diabetes Care. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Tandem Diabetes Care.

Funding

JDRF; The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (2-SRA-2017-503-M-B); Dexcom, Inc. (IIS-2017-043)

© 2019 by the American Diabetes Association.
2019
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