Clinical Care/Education/Nutrition/Psychosocial Research
B R I E F
R E P O R T
Prevention of Diabetes Self-Management
Program (PREDIAS): Effects on Weight,
Metabolic Risk Factors, and Behavioral
Outcomes
BERNHARD KULZER, PHD1
NORBERT HERMANNS, PHD1
DANIELA GORGES, MA1
PETER SCHWARZ, MD2
THOMAS HAAK, PHD1
OBJECTIVE — To evaluate the efficacy of the group program PREDIAS for diabetes
prevention.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — PREDIAS consists of 12 lessons and aims at
lifestyle modification. The control group received written information about diabetes prevention. In this study, a total of 182 persons with an elevated diabetes risk participated (aged 56.3 ⫾
10.1 years, 43% female, and BMI 31.5 ⫾ 5.3 kg/m2).
RESULTS — After 12 months, weight loss was significantly higher (P ⫽ 0.001) in PREDIAS
than in the control group (⫺3.8 ⫾ 5.2 vs. ⫺1.4 ⫾ 4.09 kg). There were also significant effects
(P ⫽ 0.001) on fasting glucose (control group 1.8 ⫾ 13.1 mg/dl vs. PREDIAS ⫺4.3 ⫾ 11.3
mg/dl), duration of physical activity per week (control group 17.9 ⫾ 63.8 min vs. PREDIAS
46.6 ⫾ 95.5 min; P ⫽ 0.03), and eating behavior.
CONCLUSIONS — PREDIAS significantly modified lifestyle factors associated with an elevated diabetes risk.
Diabetes Care 32:1143–1146, 2009
T
he prevalence of type 2 diabetes is
increasing worldwide. Diabetes is
associated with an increased risk
for morbidity and mortality (1,2). Metaanalyses have shown that type 2 diabetes can be effectively prevented or
delayed by lifestyle modification (3,4).
We developed a group program (PREDIAS) for the prevention of type 2 diabetes that is based on the Diabetes
Prevention Program (5,6). The aim of
this randomized controlled trial was to
evaluate in a 12-month follow-up the
efficacy of PREDIAS with regard to the
primary outcome variable, weight reduction, as well as behavioral, metabolic, and psychological outcomes as
secondary variables.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND
METHODS — PREDIAS was compared
with a control group whose members received the PREDIAS group intervention
written information and patient materials. Inclusion criteria were those aged
20 –70 years with BMI ⱖ26 kg/m2, impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, and an ability to read and
understand German. Exclusion criteria
were manifest diabetes or diagnosis of a
serious illness (e.g., cancer). All patients
gave informed consent. The study was approved by the local ethics committee.
Individuals with an elevated diabetes
risk based on a high score (⬎10) on the
Diabetes Risk Score (7) or according to
the assessment of a primary care physi-
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
From the 1Research Institute of the Diabetes Academy Mergentheim and Diabetes Centre Mergentheim, Bad
Mergentheim, Germany; and the 2Department of Medicine, University of Dresden, Carl Gustav Carus,
Dresden, Germany.
Corresponding author: Norbert Hermanns, hermanns@diabetes-zentrum.de.
Received 2 December 2008 and accepted 6 March 2009.
DOI: 10.2337/dc08-2141. Clinical trial reg. no. NCT00707447, clinicaltrials.gov.
© 2009 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly
cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby
marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
DIABETES CARE, VOLUME 32, NUMBER 7, JULY 2009
cian were invited to a baseline examination. After a pool of 12–20 patients was
created, a centrally performed block randomization (1:1) assigned subjects randomly to the PREDIAS or the control
group.
The results refer to changes between
baseline and the 12-month follow-up
measurement. Patients underwent an oral
glucose tolerance test. Weight, height,
waist circumference, and blood pressure
were assessed by study nurses, who were
blinded to the treatment assignment of
the subjects. Also, lipids and A1C were
measured. Glucose was measured from
capillary blood samples.
Physical activity was assessed by a
physical activity questionnaire used in a
representative federal health survey in
Germany (8). Physical activity is reported
as minutes per week. The Three Factor
Eating Questionnaire, with the three
scales cognitive restraint of eating, disinhibition, and hunger, was used to measure psychological determinants of eating
behavior (9,10). Trait anxiety was measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
(11). High scores on the scales always indicate a high parameter value.
The World Health Organization-Five
Well-Being Index (WHO-5) assessed psychological well-being (12), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression
Scale (CES-D) measured depressive symptoms (13). Low scores on the WHO-5 indicate reduced psychological well-being,
whereas high scores on the CES-D indicate
elevated depressive symptoms.
Statistical analysis
A power analysis showed that, assuming
an additional weight reduction of 2.5 ⫾
4.6 kg and a power of 1⫺ ⫽ 0.90 (two–
sided ␣ ⫽ 0.05), 73 participants per
group were appropriate. Calculating with
a nonevaluable rate of maximum 20%, a
total of 182 individuals (91 in each treatment group) was needed.
An intention-to-treat analysis was
performed using the baseline observation
carried forward method. Statistical analy1143
Efficacy of a diabetes prevention group program
Table 1—Baseline and 12-month follow-up results in the control group and the PREDIAS group
PREDIAS
Between-group
P-value
32.0 ⫾ 5.7
31.5 ⫾ 5.8
⫺0.5 ⫾ 1.4 (P ⫽ 0.002)*
31.0 ⫾ 4.7
29.7 ⫾ 4.7
⫺1.3 ⫾ 1.7 (P ⬍ 0.001)*
0.002
93.6 ⫾ 19.3
92.2 ⫾ 19.4
⫺1.4 ⫾ 4.0 (P ⫽ 0.002)*
92.1 ⫾ 16.5
88.3 ⫾ 15.9
⫺3.8 ⫾ 5.2 (P ⬍ 0.001)*
0.001
106.3 ⫾ 13.7
105.9 ⫾ 14.1
⫺0.4 ⫾ 6.2 (P ⫽ 0.559)*
106.8 ⫾ 13.7
102.7 ⫾ 12.5
⫺4.1 ⫾ 6.0 (P ⬍ 0.001)*
0.001
105.5 ⫾ 12.4
107.3 ⫾ 14.3
1.8 ⫾ 13.1 (P ⫽ 0.211)*
105.7 ⫾ 12.4
101.4 ⫾ 11.3
⫺4.3 ⫾ 11.3 (P ⫽ 0.001)*
0.001
138.5 ⫾ 34.9
130.3 ⫾ 36.1
⫺8.2 ⫾ 36.9 (P ⫽ 0.060)*
133.1 ⫾ 36.2
125.8 ⫾ 41.3
⫺7.3 ⫾ 30.8 (P ⫽ 0.041)*
0.865
5.7 ⫾ 0.6
5.8 ⫾ 0.5
0.1 ⫾ 0.4 (P ⫽ 0.165)*
5.7 ⫾ 0.5
5.7 ⫾ 0.4
0.0 ⫾ 0.3 (P ⫽ 0.203)*
0.060
96.9 ⫾ 76.3
114.0 ⫾ 72.6
17.9 ⫾ 63.8 (P ⫽ 0.035)*
104.2 ⫾ 80.24
150.8 ⫾ 75.18
46.6 ⫾ 95.5 (P ⬍ 0.001)*
0.034
209.9 ⫾ 36.6
207.9 ⫾ 36.8
⫺2.0 ⫾ 35.1 (P ⫽ 0.607)*
212.2 ⫾ 43.8
201.9 ⫾ 35.6
⫺10.3 ⫾ 35.9 (P ⫽ 0.011)*
0.144
53.5 ⫾ 13.2
51.3 ⫾ 14.5
⫺2.2 ⫾ 9.4 (P ⫽ 0.044)*
55.9 ⫾ 14.1
54.6 ⫾ 14.9
⫺1.3 ⫾ 6.9 (P ⫽ 0.104)*
0.479
144.1 ⫾ 102.1
141.6 ⫾ 99.5
⫺2.5 ⫾ 100.3 (P ⫽ 0.823)*
156.2 ⫾ 151.0
120.6 ⫾ 65.5
⫺35.6 ⫾ 136.8 (P ⫽ 0.022)*
0.087
139.1 ⫾ 15.9
138.1 ⫾ 15.3
⫺1.0 ⫾ 16.7 (P ⫽ 0.610)*
141.8 ⫾ 18.6
137.2 ⫾ 17.1
⫺4.6 ⫾ 19.1 (P ⫽ 0.035)*
0.217
87.3 ⫾ 9.7
85.2 ⫾ 12.3
⫺2.1 ⫾ 12.6 (P ⫽ 0.151)*
88.5 ⫾ 10.5
84.1 ⫾ 10.4
⫺4.4 ⫾ 11.7 (P ⫽ 0.001)*
0.255
10.2 ⫾ 4.3
11.7 ⫾ 4.7
1.5 ⫾ 3.0 (P ⬍ 0.001)*
10.0 ⫾ 4.0
13.9 ⫾ 4.2
3.9 ⫾ 3.8 (P ⬍ 0.001)*
0.0011
6.3 ⫾ 3.9
5.8 ⫾ 3.9
⫺0.4 ⫾ 2.6 (P ⫽ 0.247)*
6.1 ⫾ 3.2
4.9 ⫾ 2.6
⫺1.2 ⫾ 2.7 (P ⬍ 0.001)*
0.049
Control
BMI (kg/m²)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Weight (kg)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Waist circumference (cm)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Fasting glucose (mg/dl)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
2-h postprandial OGTT (mg/dl)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
A1C (%)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Physical exercise (min/week)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Total cholesterol (mg/dl)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
HDL cholesterol (mg/dl)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Triglycerides (mg/dl)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
TFEQ
Cognitive restraint
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Disinhibition
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Continued on following page
1144
DIABETES CARE, VOLUME 32, NUMBER 7, JULY 2009
Kulzer and Associates
Table 1—Continued
Hunger
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Psychological well-being by WHO-5
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Depression by CES-D
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Trait Anxiety by STAI
Baseline
Endpoint
Change from baseline to endpoint
Control
PREDIAS
Between-group
P-value
4.9 ⫾ 3.8
4.7 ⫾ 3.8
⫺0.2 ⫾ 2.7 (P ⫽ 0.434)*
4.5 ⫾ 3.4
3.4 ⫾ 3.1
⫺1.1 ⫾ 3.1 (P ⫽ 0.002)*
0.066
14.3 ⫾ 4.9
14.3 ⫾ 5.1
0.0 ⫾ 4.2 (P ⫽ 0.901)*
15.3 ⫾ 5.1
16.7 ⫾ 4.8
1.4 ⫾ 3.9 (P ⫽ 0.015)*
0.101
13.7 ⫾ 8.2
11.4 ⫾ 7.8
⫺2.3 ⫾ 6.8 (P ⫽ 0.009)*
12.0 ⫾ 9.5
9.8 ⫾ 7.5
⫺2.2 ⫾ 7.7 (P ⫽ 0.031)*
0.876
39.5 ⫾ 9.8
38.5 ⫾ 9.5
⫺1.0 ⫾ 6.1 (P ⫽ 0.142)*
38.5 ⫾ 10.4
34.5 ⫾ 9.5
⫺3.5 ⫾ 7.1 (P ⫽ 0.001)*
0.023
Data are means ⫾ SD. *P ⫽ within group test. OGGT, oral glucose tolerance test; STAI, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; TFEQ, Three Factor Eating Questionnaire.
ses were performed by paired t tests for
within-group differences and independent
t tests for between-group differences.
Program
The prevention program consisted of 12
lessons lasting ⬃90 min each. During the
first 8 weeks, eight core lessons were
given with one per week; the last four lessons were bimonthly booster lessons. The
PREDIAS program, which is based on
self-management theory, was conducted
in small groups (median size seven people). PREDIAS was delivered by either diabetes educators or psychologists. The
program comprised a set of transparencies for the lessons and a curriculum for
the prevention manager. Each participant
received an exercise book, which contained information about diabetes prevention. This book also contained
resources for the participants such as a
table of caloric values and worksheets
(e.g., eating diaries and logbooks for
physical activity) for each lesson. More
details about PREDIAS can be accessed at
the homepage of the European Union
Project: Development and Implementation of a European Guideline and Training Standards for Diabetes Prevention
(IMAGE) at http://www.image-project.
eu/pdf/praedias (14).
RESULTS — A total of 182 participants were randomized (aged 56.3 ⫾
10.1 years, 43% female, education 13.2 ⫾
4.1 years, BMI 31.5 ⫾ 5.3 kg/m2, fasting
DIABETES CARE, VOLUME 32, NUMBER 7, JULY 2009
glucose 105.7 ⫾ 12.8 mg/dl, and 2-h
postprandial postoral glucose 135.7 ⫾
35.8 mg/dl). There were no significant
baseline differences between those in the
PREDIAS and the control group. The
study lost 17 participants (9.3%) to follow-up. A dropout analysis showed no
significant differences between participants who remained in the study and
those who dropped out.
After 12 months, there was a significant effect on body weight (Table 1). Participants in the PREDIAS group had lost
3.8 kg of weight, whereas members of the
control group had reduced their weight
by 1.4 kg (P ⫽ 0.001). An intention-totreat analysis yielded similar results (control group ⫺1.3 ⫾ 3.9 kg vs. PREDIAS
group ⫺3.6 ⫾ 5.1 kg; P ⬍ 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of weight
was lost by those in the PREDIAS than in
the control group (4 ⫾ 5.4 vs. 1.6 ⫾
4.1%, respectively; P ⫽ 0.002). Similar
results were obtained regarding BMI and
waist circumference.
Both groups increased their physical activity significantly, but the increase was significantly greater in the
PREDIAS than in the control group.
Cognitive restraint of eating behavior
was significantly more increased in the
PREDIAS than in the control group, and
eating disinhibition was significantly
more decreased in the PREDIAS than in
the control group. Members of the PREDIAS group showed a significant within-group reduction on the hunger scale,
but there was no significant betweengroup difference.
There was a significant effect of PREDIAS on fasting glucose; however, the 2-h
postprandial glucose values and A1C did
not change significantly between the
groups. Total cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as systolic and diastolic blood
pressure, were significantly reduced in
the PREDIAS group, whereas in the control group there was no substantial
change in these risk factors. However, the
between-group difference failed to reach
significance.
In both groups, psychological wellbeing increased, whereas anxiety and depressive symptoms decreased. However,
except for anxiety, there were no significant differences between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS — The PREDIAS
prevention program was able to reduce
weight and modify eating behavior and
physical activity significantly; thus, diabetes risk was reduced. The magnitude of
these effects and the observed metabolic
changes were in the range of previously
published results of diabetes prevention
programs (3–5,15).
Acknowledgments — The conduct of this
study was supported by an unrestricted grant
from Roche Diagnostics, Germany. No other
potential conflicts of interest relevant to this
article were reported.
Parts of this study were presented in abstract form at the 69th Scientific Sessions of
1145
Efficacy of a diabetes prevention group program
the American Diabetes Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, 5-9 June 2009.
We thank Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany;
the cities of Erlangen and Wuerzburg; the Association of Primary Care Physicians, Wuerzburg, Germany; and the Main Tauber
Country, Germany, for their collaboration.
References
1. Zimmet P, Alberti KG, Shaw J. Global and
societal implications of the diabetes epidemic. Nature 2001;414:782–787
2. Schwarz PE, Schwarz J, Schuppenies A,
Bornstein SR, Schulze J. Development of a
diabetes prevention management program for clinical practice. Public Health
Rep 2007;122:258 –263
3. Gillies CL, Abrams KR, Lambert PC, Cooper NJ, Sutton AJ, Hsu RT, Khunti K.
Pharmacological and lifestyle interventions to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in
people with impaired glucose tolerance:
systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ
2007;334:299
4. Orozco LJ, Buchleitner AM, GimenezPerez G, Roque IF, Richter B, Mauricio D.
Exercise or exercise and diet for preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cochrane
1146
Database Syst Rev 2008;3:CD003054
5. Diabetes Prevention Program Research
Group. Reduction in the incidence of type
2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or
metformin. N Engl J Med 2002;346:393–
403
6. Diabetes Prevention Program Research
Group: The Diabetes Prevention Program
(DPP). Description of lifestyle intervention. Diabetes Care 2002;25:2165–2171
7. Lindström J, Tuomilehto J. The diabetes
risk score: a practical tool to predict
type 2 diabetes risk. Diabetes Care
2003;26:725–731
8. Mensink GBM. Körperliche Aktivität
[Physical activity]. Gesundheitswesen 61
Sonderheft 1999;2:S216 –S131 [in German]
9. Pudel V, Westenhöfer J. Fragebogen zum
Ernährungsverhalten (FEV) [Questionnaire
about eating behavior]. Göttingen, Germany, Hogrefe, 1989 [in German]
10. Stunkard AJ, Messick S. The three factor
eating questionnaire to measure dietary
restraint, disinhibition and hunger. J Psychosom Res 1985;29:71– 83
11. Laux L, Glanzmann P, Schaffner P, Spielberger D. Das State-Trait-Angstinventar.
Theoretische Grundlagen und Handanweis-
12.
13.
14.
15.
ung [The State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Theoretical principles and manual]. Weinheim,
Germany, Beltz, 1981 [in German]
Psychiatric Research Unit and WHO Collaborating Center for Mental Health.
WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5)
[Internet], 1998. Available from http://
www.who-5.org/. Accessed 15 January
2009
Hautzinger M, Bailer J. Allgemeine Depressions-Skala [General Depression Scale].
Göttingen, Germany, Hogrefe, 1993 [in
German]
IMAGE Project Management. IMAGE
(Development and Implementation of a
European Guideline and Training Standards for Diabetes Prevention) [Internet],
2009. Available from http://www.imageproject.eu/pdf/praedias. Accessed 11
April 2009
Tuomilehto J, Lindström J, Eriksson JG,
Valle TT, Hämäläinen H, Ilanne-Parikka
P, Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi S, Laakso M,
Louheranta A, Rastas M, Salminen V,
Uusitupa M. Prevention of type 2 diabetes
mellitus by changes in lifestyle among
subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.
N Engl J Med 2001;344:1343–1350
DIABETES CARE, VOLUME 32, NUMBER 7, JULY 2009