Findings

Researchers examined participation and weight loss results in an online diabetes prevention program; an in-person diabetes prevention program; and the Veterans Administration’s face-to-face standard-of-care weight management program, called MOVE!

In the primary analysis, enrollees in the online diabetes prevention program saw a mean weight loss of 10.3 pounds at 6 months and 8.8 pounds at 12 months. In a secondary analysis of participants who completed one or more modules/sessions, mean weight loss for online participants was 10.6 pounds at 6 months and 9 pounds at one year. This was roughly comparable to the results of in-person participants, but significantly higher than it was for MOVE! participants in at least one meeting, who lost 1.1 pounds at 6 months and 10.6 pounds at 1 year. In addition, the researchers found that the online program had better participation than the in-person program, with 87% of online participants completing eight or more sessions, compared with 59% for the in-person program and 55% for MOVE!

This study is one of the first to assess weight outcomes in an online diabetes prevention program in comparison to in-person delivery of such a program.

Background

Some 84 million, or one in three, US adults have prediabetes, a condition in which one’s blood sugar levels are consistently higher than normal, though not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. Without any intervention, up to 30% of adults with prediabetes can develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years, and up to 70% can develop it over their lifetime. Yet type 2 diabetes risk can be lowered by as much as 58% with lifestyle interventions, such as diabetes prevention programs.

Method

The trial enrolled 268 obese or overweight veterans with prediabetes in an online program. In a separate trial, 273 were enrolled in an in-person program, and 114 were enrolled in MOVE! This study included only veterans, but participants were recruited from four large centers and were diverse. Participants were not randomly placed in a group and recruitment processes differed between the online and in-person programs.

The online program, developed by Omada Health, consisted of virtual groups of participants; live e-coaches who monitored group interactions and provided the participants with feedback via phone and private online messages; weekly educational modules on healthy eating and exercise; and wireless scales to record participant weights. The in-person program consisted of 8 to 22 group-based, face-to-face sessions focused on 7% weight loss and at least 150 minutes per session of moderate physical activity. The MOVE! program included 8 to 12 face-to-face, healthy lifestyle sessions and monthly maintenance sessions, but with no specified goals. Weight change was measured at 6 months and again at 12 months.

Impact

An intensive, multifaceted online diabetes prevention program is as effective as in-person programs and can make prevention programs more accessible to those at risk for developing diabetes.

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published this study.

—Newswise