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The effect of time spent outdoors during summer on daily blood glucose and steps in women with type 2 diabetes
Journal article   Peer reviewed

The effect of time spent outdoors during summer on daily blood glucose and steps in women with type 2 diabetes

Molly B Richardson, Courtney Chmielewski, Connor Y H Wu, Mary B Evans, Leslie A McClure, Kathryn W Hosig and Julia M Gohlke
Journal of behavioral medicine, v 43(5), pp 783-790
Oct 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-019-00113-5
PMID: 31677087
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Abstract

Blood Glucose Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Female Humans Seasons Time Factors
This study investigated changes in glycemic control following a small increase in time spent outdoors. Women participants with type 2 diabetes (N = 46) wore an iBUTTON temperature monitor and a pedometer for 1 week and recorded their morning fasting blood glucose (FBG) daily. They went about their normal activities for 2 days (baseline) and were asked to add 30 min of time outdoors during Days 3-7 (intervention). Linear mixed effects models were used to test whether morning FBG values were different on days following intervention versus baseline days, and whether steps and/or heat exposure changed. Results were stratified by indicators of good versus poor glycemic control prior to initiation of the study. On average, blood glucose was reduced by 6.1 mg/dL (95% CI - 11.5, - 0.6) on mornings after intervention days after adjusting for age, BMI, and ambient weather conditions. Participants in the poor glycemic control group (n = 16) experienced a 15.8 mg/dL decrease (95% CI - 27.1, - 4.5) in morning FBG on days following the intervention compared to a 1.6 mg/dL decrease (95%CI - 7.7, 4.5) for participants in the good glycemic control group (n = 30). Including daily steps or heat exposure did not attenuate the association between intervention and morning FBG. The present study suggests spending an additional 30 min outdoors may improve glycemic control; however, further examination with a larger sample over a longer duration and determination of mediators of this relationship is warranted.

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4 citations in Web of Science
5 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Psychology, Clinical
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