Objective: To investigate associations between physical activity, comorbidity severity, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Subjects and methods: All individuals, 200 patients and 50 controls, aged from 40 to 60 years, were investigated by interview, and all variables were measured concurrently. Physical activity was evaluated by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) by the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), comorbidity severity by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and depressive symptoms by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II > 16). Single and multiple regression analysis evaluated the effects of independent variables on physical activity.
Results: The patients had more depressive symptoms and greater comorbidity severity (p < 0.005). Diabetic patients showed better activity levels (IPAQ) (p < 0.005). Functional Capacity, General State of Health, and Physical Limitation were the most affected subscales in the SF-36 evaluation of the HRQL. Sedentary diabetic patients had higher waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratios, more depressive symptoms, and worse HRQL. Functional capacity (p = 0.000), followed by General State of Health (p = 0.02), were the health status measure subscales independently associated with physical activity.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that increasing patient independence and treating depressive symptoms can promote physical activity for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. It is suggested that group activities and caregivers/family support might compensate for the patient dependence, and increase adherence to exercise programs in those that are less active.