Hypoglycemia Incidence Rate in National and Non-National Health Insurance of Type 2 Diabetes Patients in COVID-19 Pandemic at Central Borneo

Abstract

Community activity restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia impact the quantity and quality of health services for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This limitation could increase the risk of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients. The study aimed to compare the incidence rate of hypoglycemia between national (NHIP) and non-national health insurance participants (N-NHIP) with T2DM during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted at a government hospital in Central Borneo. Data was collected by consecutive sampling from September to November 2021. Sixty-two participants were divided into two groups (NHIP and N-NHIP groups). Each group consisted of 31 participants. They were interviewed regarding their experience with hypoglycemia in the last three months. The incidence rate of hypoglycemia in N-NHIP was higher than in NHIP (93.55% vs. 87.10%; p>0.05). Hypoglycemia is mostly presented in patients using a combination of short-acting and long-acting insulin. The incidence rate of hypoglycemia in T2DM during the COVID-19 pandemic in Central Borneo was relatively high. In future studies, it is necessary to analyse the factors that significantly affect the incidence of hypoglycemia in the population of T2DM patients in Indonesia.