Objective Measurement of Physical Activity in Adults With Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes and Healthy Individuals

Physical activity (PA) has many benefits in type 1 diabetes mellitus (type 1 DM). However, PA levels in people with type 1 DM have not previously been measured accurately. We aimed to compare objectively measured PA in adults recently diagnosed with type 1 DM and healthy adults. Accelerometer data from 65 healthy adults [mean (SD) age 31 (13), 29% men] were compared with data from 50 people with type 1 DM [mean (SD) age 33 (10), 64% men], time since diagnosis <3months, HbA1c 76 ± 25 mmol/mol) in the EXTOD (Exercise for Type 1 Diabetes) pilot study. Briefly, EXTOD investigated the feasibility of recruiting recently diagnosed adults with type 1 DM into a yearlong exercise intervention. Multiple-regression models were used to investigate the association between diabetes status and activity outcomes. Adults recently diagnosed with type 1 DM spent on average a quarter less time in moderate-to-vigorous-physical-activity (MVPA) per day than healthy adults [after adjusting for confounders, predicted values: type 1 DM adults: [mean (SD)] 37.4 mins/day (9.1) Healthy adults: 52.9 mins/day (11.0)]. No difference in MVPA between the groups was seen at the weekend, but adults with type 1 DM spent more time in light physical activity (LPA), and less time in sedentary behavior. Time spent in sedentary or LPA during weekdays did not differ between groups. Adults recently diagnosed with type 1 DM do less MVPA. Health care workers should encourage these people to engage in more PA. Further studies are needed to assess PA in people with type 1 DM of longer duration.