Reducing Sedentary Behaviour in Patients With Type II Diabetes

Following pre-screening at their intake appointment, if appropriate for a DIGMA and eligible to participate, new patients to SJHC PCDSP will be invited to attend a DIGMA scheduled two-weeks post-intake appointment. Participants will provide their written informed consent and patient demographic information, assessed by questionnaire, during the first hour of their appointment. With a trained research assistant, the participant will complete a series of behavioural measures including: the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) and a modified Sedentary Behaviour Questionnaire (SBQ). Standardized anthropometric measurements, including waist circumference, weight, height, and capillary blood glucose, of all participants will also be completed separately in an exam room.

Consistent with social learning theory, the primary care provider and the DIGMA support team will model, demonstrate, and verbalize aspects of increased confidence to perform the 1-hour appointment in a standing position and offer a variety of strategies to cope and overcome any feelings of discomfort. Emphasis will be placed on the strategies the primary care models uses to break sitting with standing and light, incidental movements. It will be anticipated that the participant will observe cues and relevant information specific to their behaviour change and engage in minimal sedentary behaviour.

The frequency of breaks and the duration of breaks taken during the scheduled DIGMA will be measured using an ActivPAL4 monitor, a wearable device that can measure sitting/lying, standing, and walking time, sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transition counts and step counts.

Capillary blood glucose will be measured by the research staff at both pre- and post-appointment using a glucometer. As patients are not required to restrict their diet before a standard DIGMA, there will be no restrictions on food and/or drink intake before/during the morning of, the travel to, and/or during the appointment. Participants will be asked to self-report the time and what they ate during their last meal in their demographics questionnaire.

Self-efficacy and positive and negative affect will be self-reported at both pre- and post-appointment using a scale adapted from the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), respectively. As well, goal intentions of the patients will be measured using a questionnaire along three dimensions: respondents will refer to a specific point in time, to the place, and to the degree of behavioural intent that is linked to the situational context specified by time and place. An example of one of the questions will be "Over the next week, do you intend to sit less at home?". Subjects will then indicate using a 5-point Likert scale the degree to which they endorse this statement (e.g., 1 is not at all to 5 is completely agree).