The Impact of a Worksite-Based Diabetes Prevention Intervention: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a program to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes among participants with prediabetes. The program focused on a healthy eating style, behavior modification, daily physical activity, and achieving a healthy weight. This was a retrospective observational analysis of a pilot program designed to prevent diabetes among employees with prediabetes. This intervention involved 12-16 weeks of nutrition counseling with the registered dietitian and participation in physical activity of at least 150 min/week. The primary outcome for this study was the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Secondary outcome measures included changes in the following biometrics: body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood press (DBP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol, waist circumference, and triglyceride levels. The diabetes prevention intervention was associated with significant improvements in glucose (-6.6%), A1c (-2.9%), weight (-5.5%), BMI (-5.5%), SBP (-4.9%), DBP (-3.9%), total cholesterol (-5.0%), LDL-C (-7.0%), and triglycerides (-13.9%). After the 12-16-week intervention, the prevalence of prediabetes was reduced by 31% by fasting blood glucose or A1c levels. Baseline A1c, baseline glucose level, age, and number of sessions attended were all significant predictors of the odds of transitioning out of the prediabetes stage, controlling for all other covariates in the model. This pilot study suggests that the implementation of a worksite diabetes prevention intervention can help employees transition from a prediabetes status to no risk of diabetes.