Mobile Delivery of the Diabetes Prevention Program in People With Prediabetes: Randomized Controlled Trial

Tatiana Toro-Ramos, Andreas Michaelides, Maria Anton, Zulekha Karim, Leah Kang-Oh, Charalambos Argyrou, Elisavet Loukaidou, Marina M Charitou, Wilson Sze, Joshua D Miller, Tatiana Toro-Ramos, Andreas Michaelides, Maria Anton, Zulekha Karim, Leah Kang-Oh, Charalambos Argyrou, Elisavet Loukaidou, Marina M Charitou, Wilson Sze, Joshua D Miller

Abstract

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) diabetes prevention program (DPP) has formed the foundation for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) prevention efforts and lifestyle change modifications in multiple care settings. To our knowledge, no randomized controlled trial has verified the efficacy of a fully mobile version of CDC's diabetes prevention program (DPP).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the long-term weight loss and glycemic efficacy of a mobile-delivered DPP compared with a control group receiving usual medical care.

Methods: Adults with prediabetes (N=202) were recruited from a clinic and randomized to either a mobile-delivered, coach-guided DPP (Noom) or a control group that received regular medical care including a paper-based DPP curriculum and no formal intervention. The intervention group learned how to use the Noom program, how to interact with their coach, and the importance of maintaining motivation. They had access to an interactive coach-to-participant interface and group messaging, daily challenges for behavior change, DPP-based education articles, food logging, and automated feedback. Primary outcomes included changes in weight and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Exploratory secondary outcomes included program engagement as a predictor of changes in weight and HbA1c levels.

Results: A total of 202 participants were recruited and randomized into the intervention (n=101) or control group (n=99). In the intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses, changes in the participants' weight and BMI were significantly different at 6 months between the intervention and control groups, but there was no difference in HbA1c levels (mean difference 0.004%, SE 0.05; P=.94). Weight and BMI were lower in the intervention group by -2.64 kg (SE 0.71; P<.001) and -0.99 kg/m2 (SE 0.29; P=.001), respectively. These differences persisted at 12 months. However, in the analyses that did not involve ITT, program completers achieved a significant weight loss of 5.6% (SE 0.81; P<.001) at 6 months, maintaining 4.7% (SE 0.88; P<.001) of their weight loss at 12 months. The control group lost -0.15% at 6 months (SE 0.64; P=.85) and gained 0.33% (SE 0.70; P=.63) at 12 months. Those randomized to the intervention group who did not start the program had no meaningful weight or HbA1c level change, similar to the control group. At 1 year, the intervention group showed a 0.23% reduction in HbA1c levels; those who completed the intervention showed a 0.28% reduction. Those assigned to the control group had a 0.16% reduction in HbA1c levels.

Conclusions: This novel mobile-delivered DPP achieved significant weight loss reductions for up to 1 year compared with usual care. This type of intervention reduces the risk of overt diabetes without the added barriers of in-person interventions.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03865342; https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT03865342.

Keywords: body weight; mHealth; mobile app; mobile phone; prediabetes; randomized controlled trial.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: TT and AM are employed by Noom, Inc and receive salary and stock options. AM holds a patent pending (3492.004US1) with Noom, Inc. Noom Coach is a mHealth program owned by Noom, Inc. The authors have no additional conflicts of interest, and no competing financial interests exist for the other authors.

©Tatiana Toro-Ramos, Andreas Michaelides, Maria Anton, Zulekha Karim, Leah Kang-Oh, Charalambos Argyrou, Elisavet Loukaidou, Marina M Charitou, Wilson Sze, Joshua D Miller. Originally published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 08.07.2020.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Selection of screen pages for mobile health intervention.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trial profile of recruitment and completion.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Weight change across time points. ITT: intention-to-treat; T0: baseline; T6: 6 months; T12: 12 months. ITT: intention-to-treat; T0: baseline; T6: 6 months; T12: 12 months.
Figure 4
Figure 4
BMI change across time points. ITT: intention-to-treat; T0: baseline; T6: 6 months; T12: 12 months.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Hemoglobin A1c change across time points. ITT: intention-to-treat; T0: baseline; T6: 6 months; T12: 12 months.

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