Abstract/Summary

Background The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in Kuwait and it is therefore important to investigate potential methods to improve outcomes through lifestyle modification in primary care. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based structured lifestyle intervention, including nutrition and physical activity in attaining optimal glycaemic control, and to investigate how factors affect compliance with interventions and outcomes. Design The study was conducted as a 12-month two-arm randomised trial amongst Kuwaiti men. The intervention group, n=20, received two individual sessions and four educational group sessions with specific focus on exercise and dietary changes. The control group, n=20, received two individual sessions in addition to standard treatment. Eligible diabetes patients between 30-65 years old and who had been formally diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes were selected. The intervention group attended a group discussion session every two weeks and the duration ofthe sessions was 60 minutes. Results Data on diet, lifestyle and disease markers were collected at baseline and at the 12-month follow-up point. There were no statistically significant differences (p<0.05) between intervention and control group for most of the parameters. The primary endpoint of HbAlc in % was similar in both the intervention and control at the baseline, 8.5 (1.4) for the control and 8.8 (1.8) for the intervention; and at follow-up, 8.2 (7.6 -9.2) in the control and 8.4 (7.6. ¬9.2) for the intervention. At the same time, however, HbAlc in non-participating patients at the polyclinic increased from 8.45 (1.75) to 9.2 (1.8). The drop-out rate for this study was 10%. Conclusion Simply offering this intervention could be useful for Type 2 diabetes patients in Kuwait. The conducted study showed that the intervention and control group achieved better outcomes than patients who were not involved in any lifestyle intervention programs.