Background: It is known that people with diabetes commonly have a worsening prognosis of
infections, being considered a population at risk in the COVID-19 pandemic. Carbohydrate
Counting (CC) is a strategy that helps in glycemic control of these patients. Concomitantly,
nutritional follow-up is an important factor for the treatment and good prognosis of patients
with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and the nutritionist is qualified to assist the patient in CC. However,
with the adventof the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, CC adhering
and nutritional follow-up may have been affected. Objective: To evaluate the association
between nutritionalfollow-up and carbohydrate count by adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
during the Covid- 19 pandemic in Brazil. Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical
study, conducted in July 2020, using an online form creator (Google Forms).
Sociodemographic data, information on follow-up with health professionals and on food,
including CC, were collected. For statistical analysis, pearson's simple chi-square and chi square test were performed, with adjusted residual analysis, considering p<0.05. Results: 3%
of the participants suspended the practice of CC during the period of social isolation. 37.7%
reported doing CC at the same frequency as before social distancing and 20.13% reported
doing CC more frequently than before distancing (p<0.000). The majority (86.4%) of the
participants did not realized nutritional follow up. Nutritional follow-up during the pandemic
was associated with CC. Maintaining nutritional follow-up online and having started online
nutritional monitoring was associated with performing CC during the period of social
isolation (p=0.047). Conclusion: CC was shown to be a tool used by most patients with T1D,
and its performance was directly associatedwith online and/or face-to-face nutritional follow up. Pointing to the importance of nutritional assistance in order to improve CC aditude and
assist in glycemic control of these patients.
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