Effectiveness of the Health Extension for Diabetes Program, a DSMS Program Delivered In-Person and Online: A...

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Public Health
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent chronic condition requiring effective self-management strategies.
• Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) programs are crucial for preventing complications.
• The Health Extension for Diabetes (HED) program is a 4-month DSMES intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of online versus in-person delivery methods for the HED program.
• To assess if online delivery is as effective as in-person delivery for diabetes self-management.
• To determine the impact of demographic differences on health outcomes in different delivery modalities.

Main Methods:

• A quasiexperimental comparative study design was employed.
• 1018 participants (613 online, 405 in-person) were included.
• Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) assessed changes in weight, BMI, HbA1c, self-efficacy, knowledge, and behaviors using pre- and post-program data.

Main Results:

• Both online and in-person HED modalities led to positive changes in biometric and diabetes outcome measures.
• Online HED participants differed demographically (younger, more educated, higher income) from in-person participants.
• Online participants showed significantly higher diabetes knowledge scores; both modalities improved weight and BMI.

Conclusions:

• Both online and in-person HED effectively improve diabetes self-management, reaching distinct demographic groups.
• Offering multiple delivery modalities enhances accessibility and engagement across diverse populations.
• The HED model, utilizing community-clinical linkage, is effective for improving health outcomes in DSMES programs.