A Digital Diabetes Prevention Program (Transform) for Adults With Prediabetes: Secondary Analysis
This study aimed to investigate the effects of a novel digital therapeutic diabetes prevention program (DPP) (Transform) on weight loss, body mass index (BMI), exercise frequency, and work absenteeism. It was a secondary analysis of retrospective data of adults with prediabetes who were enrolled in the Transform DPP from December 2016 to December 2017. The program incorporates interactive mobile computing, remote monitoring, an evidence-based curriculum, behavior tracking tools, health coaching, and online peer support to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. The sample (N=273) comprised people with prediabetes who completed 4 months of the Transform program. On average, participants increased their exercise frequency by 1.7 days per week, and absenteeism was reduced by almost half a day per month. These results suggest that the digital therapeutic DPP (Transform) is effective at preventing type 2 diabetes through a significant reduction in body weight and an increase of physical activity. A prospective, controlled clinical study is warranted to validate these findings.