gms | German Medical Science

Background and state of research: Diabetes Type 2 is one of the five most important and common chronic diseases. The literature shows that balanced diet and adequate physical activity (healthy lifestyle) are effective in the prevention and management of already diagnosed type 2 diabetes and the prevention of long-term complications. The focus of care is on symptom control and drug treatment. There is little encouragement and support for self-management of dietary and physical activity habit change in everyday life. Further challenges are the shortage of human resources, inconveniently coordinated health services and the conviction of health professionals that information and the indication of negative consequences alone would encourage patients to change their behaviour. Changing habits also depends on the individual's readiness to change. The transtheoretical model (stages) offers a valid theory for behaviour change that can be applied in routine clinical practice. Systematic assessment of stages of readiness and dietary and physical activity habits has the potential to provide a basis for an efficient, stage-based, thus targeted, integrative diabetes management in routine care, and to support individuals in their self-care capabilities.

Research question and objectives: This study will explore dietary and physical activity habits and readiness to change (stages), its effects on clinical and anthropometric parameters as well as personal experiences with behaviour change (factors perceived as facilitating and/or hindering) in newly diagnosed persons with type 2 diabetes.

Method: This study is a multi-method study consisting of

1.

A Prospective Cohort Study with four measurement time periods (baseline, after 4, 8 and 12 month); data are collected through online questionnaires using validated scales; clinical and anthropometric parameters (blood glucose, HbA1C, weight, height, waist circumference); descriptive and inferential statistics will be applied for the analysis of data.

2.

A Qualitative Study doing semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample (participants from the cohort study); data will be analyzed with qualitative content analysis.

Expected results: Data collection started in March 2023. The study will provide new knowledge on whether readiness to change dietary and physical activity habits is related to actual habits and to what extent it affects health status. At the conference, preliminary results of two measurement periods of the quantitative study will be presented.

Implication for care: Through incorporating the different stages of change and assessing systematically dietary and physical activity habits of persons with Type 2 Diabetes, the study will provide a basis for more efficient interventions. The stage-based and targeted care approach has the potential to use the already scarce resources more appropriately. Care interventions can be better tailored and offered to the different stages of readiness thus improving the quality of care of persons with Diabetes Type 2.