Key result
Lifestyle medicine outpatient program reaches high-risk patients, but follow-up attendance drops to ~1%.
Why the study?
Non-communicable diseases pose a public health challenge in urban India where lifestyle medicine may complement primary care. This study aimed to describe the implementation, participant profile, and follow-up retention of a Lifestyle Medicine Outpatient Department at an Urban Health Training Centre in India.
What is the participant profile and follow-up retention of a lifestyle medicine clinic program among adults with non-communicable diseases at an urban health training centre in India?
Observational
No
What is the participant profile and follow-up retention of a lifestyle medicine clinic program among adults with non-communicable diseases at an urban health training centre in India?
While a lifestyle medicine clinic in urban primary care in India successfully reaches older adults with high cardiometabolic risk, severe attrition (falling to 1.3% by the fifth visit) highlights an urgent need for active retention strategies such as digital follow-up and community outreach.
High attrition in lifestyle medicine programs signals retention barriers in primary care; leaves open long-term cardiometabolic benefits in observational Indian cohorts.
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a public health challenge in urban India. Lifestyle medicine may complement primary care. Objectives were to describe the implementation and participant profile of a Lifestyle Medicine Outpatient Department (OPD) at Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC) in India and to assess follow-up retention. Methods: This prospective observational program evaluation study was conducted at UHTC in India from December 2025 to May 2026 (6 months). Adults aged with ³18 years with known or newly detected NCDs were enrolled consecutively. The intervention comprised individualized lifestyle counselling, fortnightly group education on hypertension and diabetes, and behavioural counselling for substance use. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and HbA1c were assessed at enrolment, while retention was assessed through attendance at scheduled follow-up visits. Results: The mean age was 62.75±10.45 years; 64.4% were aged ≥60 years. Hypertension was the most prevalent comorbidity (55.0%), followed by diabetes mellitus (21.5%). Using Asian Indian BMI cutoffs, 75.8% were overweight or obese. HbA1c assessment revealed diabetic values in 37.6% and prediabetic values in 6.7% of participants. First follow-up attendance was 22.1%, declining progressively to 1.3% by the fifth visit. Conclusions: A lifestyle medicine program can be incorporated into the UHTC framework and reach a population with substantial cardiometabolic risk. However, very low follow-up retention limits the potential for sustained behavioural support and evaluation of clinical outcomes. Strategies including community outreach, digital follow-up, and community health worker support should be incorporated into future program implementation.
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Ali et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Known or newly detected non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Lifestyle medicine outpatient program (individualized lifestyle counselling, fortnightly group education on hypertension and diabetes, and behavioural counselling for substance use) was evaluated on Follow-up retention (attendance at scheduled follow-up visits). Lifestyle medicine outpatient program implementation reached a population with high cardiometabolic risk, but follow-up attendance declined from 22.1% at the first visit to 1.3% by the fifth visit.
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