Conceptualizing the effects of COVID-19 on eating and physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in Ecuador using the social ecological model.

Background: Our aim was to explore patients' perceptions of changes in diet and physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or arterial hypertension in two low-income districts of Ecuador.

Methods: We carried out a qualitative study of 19 telephone interviews in August-September 2020 with people with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or arterial hypertension. Interviews were recorded, anonymized and transcribed verbatim for analysis using the social ecological model.

Hard-to-reach communities in the rural Ecuador: A qualitative perspective on dietary habits and physical activity.

While many studies focus on urban areas, it's vital to understand health-related behaviours in rural communities. This paper aims to explore the factors that influence dietary habits and physical activity from the perspective of men and women of different ethnic groups living in a hard-to-reach rural area in Ecuador. We conducted 5 focus groups with 37 participants (26 women) from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds in marginalized communities in Esmeraldas.

Contextualizing Evidence for Action on Diabetes in Low-Resource Settings-Project CEAD Part-II, Strengthening the Health System: A Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

Diabetes is a major public health problem, increasingly affecting low- and middle-income countries. The project CEAD (Contextualizing Evidence for Action in Diabetes in low-resource settings) aims to evaluate the implementation of comprehensive diabetes care in two low-resource settings in Ecuador and to stimulate context-led health systems innovations to improve diabetes care and reduce inequity. The mixed-methods approach includes a 24-month retrospective study to assess the current level of implementation of comprehensive diabetes care and participants will be followed up prospectively for two years to assess changes in healthcare and clinical outcomes from the outset of the research.

Contextualizing Evidence for Action on Diabetes in Low-Resource Settings-Project CEAD Part I: A Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

Challenges remain for policy adoption and implementation to tackle the unprecedented and relentless increase in obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this mixed-methods study is to analyse the contextual relevance and applicability to low-resource settings of a sample of evidence-based healthy public policies, using local knowledge, perceptions and pertinent epidemiological data. Firstly, we will identify and prioritise policies that have the potential to reduce the burden of diabetes in low-resource settings with a scoping review and modified Delphi method.