Tailored Lifestyle and Behaviour Change Interventions for Prevention of Diabetes

Dear Colleagues,

Large volumes of randomized control trials (RCTs) and ‘real world’ evidence that lifestyle interventions can be effective in delaying and preventing diabetes are readily available in the scientific literature [1,2]. Evidence from RCTs of diabetes prevention programmes using lifestyle interventions in China, India, Finland, and the USA has demonstrated a reduction in diabetes incidence of between 42% and 58%, with good maintenance for up to 20 years [3]. More recent implementation trials have demonstrated similar effects as RCTs [4–6]. While the efficacy trials of diabetes prevention were all based on highly labour-intensive interventions delivered at the individual participant level, other studies [4,5] have subsequently confirmed that major lifestyle objectives and diabetes risk reduction achieved in efficacy prevention trials were reproducible at the primary healthcare level using group-based approaches and less resource-demanding interventions [7]. Group-based and other simplified interventions [8] in other settings have generally shown a significant positive effect on the trajectories of major diabetes risk factors.

However, the volume of evidence does not exist for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), specifically Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, where the expected increase in the number of people with diabetes by 2045 is the highest (129%), reaching 55 million [9]. LMICs have various levels of socio-economic inequalities, social ills, varied cultures, and food and physical environments, which bring with it unique challenges when trying to apply evidence from high-income countries without adaptions.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to focus on highlighting findings from lifestyle interventions from LMIC to serve as a platform to showcase and learn from unique environments and contexts.

This Special Issue aims to collate manuscripts that will highlight the challenges related to changing health-related behaviour in poorly resourced settings. Endeavouring to change individuals’ daily practices by influencing their attitudes and beliefs to prevent disease is a complex task as it includes a vast array of socio-cultural determinants. Thus, learnings from various settings would enrich scientific understanding and contribute to intervention implementation in resource-poor settings positively.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome to be submitted. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. RCTs;
2. Community-based interventions (baseline and post-intervention findings and learnings welcome);
3. Process evaluations (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies).

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

References

1. Gomez, M.A.; Walker, K.Z.; Buckley, A.J. Evidence Based Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes; NHMRC and Diabetes Australia: Canberra, Australia, 2009.
2. Gillies, C.L.; Abrams, K.R.; Lambert, P.C.; Cooper, N.J.; Sutton, A.J.; Hsu, R.T.; Khunti, K. Pharmacological and lifestyle interventions to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in people with impaired glucose tolerance: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2007, 334, 299.
3. Li, G.; Zhang, P.; Wang, J.; Gregg, E.W.; Yang, W.; Gong, Q.; Li, H.; Li, H.; Jiang, Y.; An, Y.; et al., The long-term effect of lifestyle interventions to prevent diabetes in the China Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study: a 20-year follow-up study. Lancet 2008, 371, 1783–1789.
4. Absetz P, Valve R, Oldenburg B, Heinonen H, Nissinen A, Fogelholm M, Ilvesmäki V, Talja M, Uutela A. Type 2 diabetes prevention in the “real world”: one-year results of the GOAL Implementation Trial. Diabetes Care 2007, 30, 2465–2470.
5. Laatikainen, T.; Dunbar, J.A.; Chapman, A.; Kilkkinen, A.; Vartiainen, E.; Heistaro, S.; Philpot, B.; Absetz, P.; Bunker, S.; O’Neil, A.; et al., Prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle intervention in an Australian primary health care setting: Greater Green Triangle (GGT) Diabetes Prevention Project. BMC Public Health 2007, 7, 249.
6. Oldenburg, B.; Absetz, P.; Dunbar, J.A.; Reddy, P.; O'Neil, A. The spread and uptake of diabetes prevention programs around the world: a case study from Finland and Australia. Transl. Behav. Med. 2011, 1, 270–282.
7. Absetz, P.; Oldenburg, B.; Hankonen, N.; Valve, R.; Heinonen, H.; Nissinen, A.; Fogelholm, M.; Talja, M.; Uutela, A. Type 2 diabetes prevention in the real world: three-year results of the GOAL lifestyle implementation trial. Diabetes Care 2009, 32, 1418–1420.
8. Ali, M.K; Echouffo-Tcheugui, J.; Williamson, D.F. How effective were lifestyle interventions in real-world settings that were modeled on the Diabetes Prevention Program? Health Aff. 2012, 31, 67–75.
9. Foundation, W.D. IDF Diabetes Atlas; International Diabetes Federation: Brussels, Belgium, 2021.

Dr. Jillian Hill
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• diabetes prevention
• lifestyle intervention
• nutrition
• physical activity
• behaviour change techniques
• behaviour change theories