Inter-individual Variability in Psychological Outcomes of Supervised Exercise in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Exercise is a key component in the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), however despite the strong evidence of its protective effects, a majority of the population with this diagnosis remains inactive and those who start an exercise program are not willing to train themselves over the long-term. Self-efficacy and perceived stress are related to barriers to exercise in T2DM, therefore the aim of this longitudinal study is to investigate variations across time and individual differences in both variables as effects of a supervised exercise training (6 months) in a small sample of persons diagnosed with T2DM. Results show a general decline in the mean values of self-efficacy and perceived stress at 6 months and a high individual variability in both variables. These results support the need to develop customized programs of exercise in T2DM that take into account different phases of the exercise process and individual variability.

Keywords

• exercise
• self-efficacy
• perceived stress
• diabetes
• variability