COVID-19 and Body Mass Index (BMI): Exploring trends among diabetic black American patients at VCU Health System from 2018-2020

15^th International Conference on Childhood Obesity & Nutrition and 31^st European Diabetes Congress

March 16-17, 2022 WEBINAR

Asmaa M Namoos MD, MPH, Vanessa Sheppard PhD, NourElden Abosamak, Martin Lavallee, Rana Ramadan, Estelle Eyob, Chen Wang, and Gal PhD, MBA

Virginia Commonwealth University, Massey Cancer Center Richmond VA, USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Diabetic Complications Med

Abstract :

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic people have been doing less exercise due to stay-at-home mandates and gym closures in the state of Virginia. Physical activity is a simple health determinant to prevent obesity and diabetes. Methods: This research is using electronic medical records to compare BMI rates during the COVID-19 pandemic and prior years. The project also investigates whether it has been more difficult to manage existing diabetes disease and if there are more newly diagnosed diabetes cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to previous years, with special focus on racial minorities served by the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Result: The BMI cohort there is an increase from 2018 to 2019 but a decrease in 2020. For the Diabetes cohort, the mean Hba1c increases from 2018 to 2020. However, the number of emergency department visits declined in 2020. When stratified by race, the trends in the outcomes largely reflect those of the overall mean. Conclusions: The African American population had a higher mean BMI, HbA1c and number of ED visits then other races, but showed the same temporal behavior to the overall mean.

Biography :

Asmaa Namoos is a Doctoral Student in the Department of Health Behavior and Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University ‘s School of Medicine. She holds an M.D. from Alexandria University in Egypt and a Master’s in Public Health from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Her research interests include health disparities and disease control among Muslim women.