Can the onset of type 2 diabetes be delayed by a group-based lifestyle intervention in women with prediabetes following gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)? Findings from a randomized control mixed methods trial

Objective. to evaluate a 12-week group-based lifestyle intervention programme for women with prediabetes following gestational diabetes (gdm). design. a two-group,mixed methods randomized controlled trial in which 50 women with a history of gdm and abnormal glucose tolerance postpartum were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 24) or wait control (n = 26) and postintervention qualitative interviews with participants. main outcome measures. modifiable biochemical,anthropometric,behavioural,and psychosocial risk factors associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. the primary outcome variable was the change in fasting plasma glucose (fpg) from study entry to one-year follow-up. results. at one-year follow-up,the intervention group showed significant improvements over the wait control group on stress,diet self-efficacy,and quality of life. there was no evidence of an effect of the intervention on measures of biochemistry or anthropometry; the effect on one health behaviour,diet adherence,was close to significance. conclusions. prevention programmes must tackle the barriers to participation faced by this population; home-based interventions should be investigated. strategies for promoting long-term health self-management need to be developed and tested. © 2015 angela o'dea et al.