Introduction and Objective: Men are underrepresented in the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), comprising 25% or less of participants. This study evaluated the effects of a group-based remote (i.e. distance learning) diabetes prevention program tailored for Black and Latino men on weight loss and program engagement. Methods: Recruiting through primary care clinics and offered free of charge, we enrolled 301 men who met NDPP eligibility criteria using weight, height, and hemoglobin A1c from the electronic health record (EHR) or ADA diabetes risk score. They were randomized to the tailored men-only Power-Up intervention group or a standard, mixed-gender NDPP comparison. Weight was measured via home-based electronic scales, supplemented by EHR and self-report, at baseline, the 16th core session, and 12-months. The primary outcomes were the percent (%) weight loss at end of core sessions and end of maintenance; and program engagement, defined as attending 8 sessions during months 1-6 and time from first to last session attended at least 9 full months (completion). Results: Participants were on average 52 (±12.5) years old, 61.5% were Black, 50.2% Hispanic/Latino, 48.2% were employed full-time, and 39.7% graduated university/college. The average weight at baseline was 223 (±53) lbs and similar in both Power-Up and standard groups. Men in the Power-Up and standard groups had similar % weight change by the end of core sessions (-1.5% vs -1.1%, p=0.57) and end of maintenance (-1.2% vs -0.2%, p=0.42). The Power-Up group had a higher completion rate than men in the standard groups (18.1% vs. 6.2%, p=0.006). Conclusion: Men assigned to Power-Up were more likely to complete the program than men in the standard NDPP. While overall weight loss was low, these findings highlight that centering men’s health when delivering the NDPP is a promising way to improve program engagement. Additional tailoring may be necessary to more substantially engage men in lifestyle change for diabetes prevention. Disclosure E. Chambers: None. C. Schechter: None. E.A. Walker: None. E. Gil: None. C.J. Gonzalez: None. K.N. Diaz: None. Q. De Jesus: None. K. Pujols: None. J.S. Gonzalez: None. Funding National Institute of Health (R01 DK121896)
Chambers et al. (Fri,) studied this question.