Reduced incidence of diabetes during the COVID ‐19 pandemic in Alberta: A time‐segmented longitudinal study of Alberta's Tomorrow Project
Main finding · Diabetes incidenceResult — go to the resultRelative reduction 32% 95% CI 21%–42%Authors' conclusion
The COVID-19 public health emergencies had a negative impact on diabetes diagnosis in Alberta. The reduction in diabetes diagnosis was likely due to province-wide health service disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Systematic plans to close the post-COVID-19 diagnostic gap are required in diabetes to avoid substantial downstream sequelae of undiagnosed disease.
Study context
- Population
- Alberta's Tomorrow Project participants free of diabetes on 1 April 2018, Alberta, Canada; 65.5% females, age 60.4 ± 9.5 years in 2018
- Participants
- 43,705 participants
- Exposure
- Diabetes incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic vs pre-pandemic
- Outcome
- Incidence rate of diabetes diagnosis
Methodological detailstime-segmented longitudinal study, time-segmented regression model, adjusted for seasonality, sociodemographic factors, socioeconomic status and lifestyle behaviours
- Time-segmented longitudinal study
- Time-segmented regression model
- Adjusted for seasonality, sociodemographic factors, socioeconomic status and lifestyle behaviours
Main finding
Diabetes incidence
Relative reduction
32%
95% CI 21%–42%
P < 0.001
By group
COVID-19 pandemic
4.75 per 1000 person-year (PY)
Pre-pandemic
6.98 per 1000 PY
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Diabetes diagnosis during first COVID-19 state of emergency (first wave), multivariable regression
- Reduction in diabetes diagnosis, first state of emergency
- 87.3% (95% CI −98.6%, 13.9%; p = 0.07)
- Decreasing trend sustained to the second state of emergency; no substantial rebound when state of emergency relaxed
Original publication
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