Background: Digital behavioral counseling has previously been shown to reduce levels of risk factors for diabetes including fasting glucose and HbA1c. We asked whether the 8-year risk of developing diabetes could be reduced within the first year of a digital counseling program.
Methods: Individuals were included in the study if they (i) participated in an employer-sponsored wellness program with year-end biometric screening for 3 consecutive years (2016, 2017, and 2018), (ii) had prediabetes-range fasting glucose (100 to 125 mg/dL) or Hb1Ac (5.7% to 6.4%), (iii) a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 at the end of 2017, and (iv) completed at least 9 lessons in a digital behavioral counseling program initiated at the beginning of 2018. Paired t-Tests were used to assess changes in yearly trajectories of diabetes risk factors before and after intervention (Table).
Results: The baseline characteristics of the cohort at the 2017 year-end screen are provided (Table). On average, participants (n=460) were engaged in the counseling program for 9.1 months (SD: 1.2) and completed 25.1 lessons (SD: 12.3). After participation, levels of all biometric variables included in the 8-year risk model* shifted in a favorable direction; the 8-year risk of developing diabetes was reduced (Table).
Conclusions: Digital behavioral counseling was effective in reducing risk factors and the 8-year risk of diabetes during the first year of the program.
C.E. Birse: Employee; Self; Quest Diagnostics. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Quest Diagnostics. M.S. Fragala: Employee; Self; Quest Diagnostics. A. Satish: None. K.C. McNamara: Employee; Self; Omada Health, Inc. C.M. Castro Sweet: Employee; Self; Omada Health, Inc. R.J. Lagier: Employee; Self; Quest Diagnostics.
