Investigating the impact of reduced mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic on type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common condition that affects 11-27% of individuals above the age of 40. T2D increases the risk for many diseases, limits mobility and negatively impacts healthy aging. Age is a risk factor for T2D along with other modifiable factors including lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, and poor diet. While some emerging literature suggests that reduced mobility is associated with an increased risk of T2D, few studies have investigated these associations prospectively, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the incidence of T2D during the COVID-19 pandemic is especially important since the pandemic impacted many factors including mobility, obesity, changes in diet, limitations on health care access, and social isolation. Therefore, our primary objective is to investigate how self-perceived changes in physical and community mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the incidence of T2D among older adults in Canada. We will conduct a cohort study using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Data on diabetes incidence and HbA1c measures will be used. Mobility will be measured based on self-reported responses collected in the CLSA COVID-19 Questionnaire. Statistical analysis will be conducted using R and will adjust for repeated measures using weighted Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). We anticipate that the results of this study will provide important evidence to inform policy makers about the importance of social isolation during a pandemic on aging populations, highlighting the importance of mobility in older adults.