Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Volume 20, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021417
Keywords
diabetes; hiking; pilgrimage; quality of life; well-being; diabetes distress; glucose profile; continuous glucose monitoring
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This study examined the feasibility and impact of a 5-day hiking tour on quality of life, diabetes distress, and glucose profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. The tour was accompanied by healthcare professionals and included both insulin-treated and non-insulin-treated patients. Results showed a significant improvement in quality of life, while diabetes distress did not change significantly. Only a small number of insulin-treated patients experienced hypoglycemic episodes. The study suggests that hiking tours can be beneficial and safe for T2DM patients.
This study investigates the feasibility of an accompanied 5-day hiking tour (Way of St. James) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and its impact on their quality of life/well-being, diabetes distress and glucose profile. Twenty-three T2DM patients (with and without insulin therapy) participated in the study. The 120 km pilgrimage (from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela, Spain) was accompanied by three physicians, two diabetes counselors and one sports scientist. Quality of life/well-being was assessed by the World Health Organization's (WHO)-5 questionnaire, and diabetes distress was evaluated based on the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale. The glucose levels of six insulin-treated patients were measured using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, considering that insulin-treated patients can be at increased risk of exercise-induced hypoglycemia. A significant improvement in quality of life/well-being was reported (p < 0.001), while diabetes distress did not change significantly (p = 0.203). Only two of the six insulin-treated patients showed moderate hypoglycemic episodes between 0.97% and 5.21% time below range per day, with glucose levels between 53-70 mg/dL. Hiking tours such as the one organized for this study can improve quality of life/well-being without increasing diabetes distress and are considered relatively safe for T2DM patients, even for those being treated with insulin.
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