A cost-effective community program at Pennsylvania State University helped most participants change their behavior and significantly improve their HbA 1c and blood pressure, according to a report in Preventing Chronic Disease .
The researchers for the extension program, Dining with Diabetes, collected data on 2,738 adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes and adult family members without diabetes. The program consisted of 4 weekly 2-hour classes and a follow-up class conducted 3 months later. The classes included hands-on food preparation, food tastings, and physical activity.
At the follow-up class, participants who completed the program had significant improvements in diabetes-related biomarkers. A greater percentage said they were confident they could keep their diabetes under control, compared with the number at baseline (67% v 58%). At baseline, most participants were adhering to medications; the researchers found no significant change in adherence.
Participants also increased the number of days per week on which they exercised for ≥ 20 minutes (from 2.9 to 3.4 days), and slightly increased the number of days on which they ate a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Nearly half of participants with baseline and follow-up measurements had a drop in HbA 1c. At follow-up, 21% had a reduction large enough to lower their diabetes status. The changes translated to a 5.9% decrease in HbA 1c for 27% of those who had uncontrolled diabetes at baseline. More than half (59%) had a drop in blood pressure, including 60% of those with uncontrolled diabetes.
The program, which was free to participants, cost Penn State Extension $407 per person. The researchers estimate that extending the program to half of the 1.3 million people with diabetes in Pennsylvania would save the state approximately $195 million at 1 year.