15/08/2024
In Australia, over 3,000 new cases of T1D are diagnosed each year, with children accounting for most of these new cases [1]. Consequently, from a young age, people with T1D have a lifetime worth of routine daily diabetes management decisions to make in an attempt to mitigate the risk of health-related complications that may arise later in life. At present, there are approximately 127,000 people living with T1D in Australia across all ages [3], with Australia ranked as the 7th highest in the world for the prevalence off T1D occurring in children aged 0-14 years [2]. From a healthcare perspective, children diagnosed with T1D before the age of 10 years have a 30-fold higher risk of coronary heart disease in adulthood [4], which can result in T1D placing a significant burden on the healthcare system. Furthermore, a loss of life expectancy of 14.2 years and 17.7 years exist for men and women with T1D, respectively [5,6]. Hence, optimal management of T1D, specifically relating to the mitigation of cardiovascular risk, is of critical importance to improve overall quality of life, maximise productivity, reduce health burden & costs, and extend life expectancy.
Physical activity (PA) and regular exercise have both been widely acknowledged as key factors for the management of T1D due to their numerous health benefits both glucose control and positive effects on body composition.
Despite these proven benefits, 1 in 5 people with Type 1 Diabetes do not meet the recommended minimum exercise guidelines. Therefore, the secondary aim of the study is to identify and better understand the barriers and enablers to PA engagement in people with T1D.
