Sustained gains from a diabetes prevention program and the role of telephone support

Background: An evaluation of the sustainability of lifestyle changes was undertaken for participants completing a 12 month diabetes prevention program. This second part of the study also tested whether regular structured telephone calls could be effective in maintaining lifestyle changes. Methods: Originally, 237 participants completed a 12 month group-based lifestyle intervention study. They were aged 40-75 years, with a moderate to high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Participants were then randomised to telephone support (n = 107) or self-care only (n = 98) for 18 months, and re-assessed using anthropometric, clinical, psychological and general health measures. Results: A total of 164 participants (85 telephone support and 79 self-care only) completed the follow-up. Changes between 12 and 30 months for the telephone support group were not significantly different from those found in the self-care only group. Beneficial lifestyle changes achieved by participants were generally sustained after the diabetes prevention program, with the exception of fasting plasma glucose and some psychological measures. Conclusions: Positive outcomes achieved at 12 months were generally maintained after a further 18 months. Telephone support did not appear to produce additional benefits.