For Physical Laborers with Type 2 Diabetes, Telephonic Health Coaching is not Enough to Improve A1C

Telephonic health coaching has been studied extensively as an interventional approach for chronic disease management. No studies have been conducted evaluating the outcomes of a multiyear study on health coaching participation and glycated haemoglobin (A1C) changes. Chronic disease has been widespread in physical laborers, with a high onset of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to establish the efficacy of telephonic health coaching as a means to manage type 2 diabetes in adults with physical labor occupations.

The eligibility criteria were: 1) Adults aged 20-80 during the study entirety; 2) A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes; and 3) Yearly A1C and Body Mass Index (BMI) testing via verified biometric screenings. Participants completing health coaching for at least 2 years during the study period were assigned to the experimental group and participants who only had yearly biometric screening were assigned to the control group.

From 2014-2018, 350 participants met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at baseline was 56 years (SD 8.26), with a mean baseline A1C of 7.14% for the test group, and 5.41% for the control group. Pre-post test changes saw an increase in A1C of 0.85% in the test group, and 0.95% in the control group. BMI changes were not statistically significant.

Further study is needed to refine current telephonic health coaching programs for disease management. This study suggests that the efficacy of telephonic health coaching in its current form is not enough to improve BMI outcomes in patients with diabetes, and over the phone coaching alone is insufficient to improve patient A1C levels and sustain them for long-term.