Diet Quality Outcomes of a Cooperative Extension Diabetes Prevention Program

Hannah K Wilson; Isaura M Castillo-Hernandez; Ellen M Evans; Ewan R Williams; Alison C Berg

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2023.06.005

Diet Quality Outcomes of a Cooperative Extension Diabetes Prevention Program

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2023 Oct;55(10):734-742. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2023.06.005. Epub 2023 Jul 20.

Authors

Hannah K Wilson¹, Isaura M Castillo-Hernandez², Ellen M Evans³, Ewan R Williams⁴, Alison C Berg⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Exercise Science, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN. Electronic address: hwilson3@cord.edu.
² School of Physical Education and Sports, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica.
³ Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN.
⁴ Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
⁵ Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

PMID: 37480887
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2023.06.005

Abstract

Objective: The effectiveness of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in improving diet quality (DQ) in community settings is largely unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the DQ changes of Extension DPP participants.

Methods: A single-group, repeated-measures design was used to evaluate an Extension-implemented DPP using the PreventT2 curriculum. Participants were overweight adults with or at high risk for prediabetes (n = 88). Weight and DQ (Healthy Eating Index-2015, Dietary Screener Questionnaire) were evaluated using mixed-effects regression.

Results: There was no change in the Healthy Eating Index-2015 total score. Predicted fiber, fruit, and vegetable intake increased (P < 0.05) but remained below recommendations.

Conclusions and implications: Clinically meaningful DQ changes of Extension DPP participants were limited. The effect of the DPP on DQ in Extension and other implementation settings should be evaluated through randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Prevention Program curriculum revisions that include more specific dietary goals and educational tools may promote greater DQ changes in DPP participants.

Keywords: Cooperative Extension; National Diabetes Prevention Program; diet quality; prediabetes; weight management.