Effects of Nudge Strategy-Based Dietary Education Intervention in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the clinical effects of dietary education intervention utilizing the nudge strategy in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). BACKGROUND: The global prevalence of T2DM and its associated complications presents a significant health challenge. While the benefits of dietary education intervention for blood glucose management are widely acknowledged, patients often struggle to adhere to dietary recommendations. The implementation of the nudge strategy may offer a promising solution to change unhealthy dietary behavior and enhance diabetes control among individuals with T2DM. METHODS: This is a sub-study within a broader cluster-randomized trial that evaluated the effects of nudge-based dietary education and traditional dietary education intervention. Measurements of HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG), body mass index (BMI), blood lipid levels, blood pressure, dietary behavior, and diabetes distress were assessed at baseline and 3 months after the intervention in 147 individuals with T2DM from six primary care practices in Beijing, China. RESULTS: All outcome measurements were complete at two time points for 134 participants. Results showed that compared to the control group, the intervention group achieved a significantly greater reduction in HbA1c, FBG, BMI, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, total energy intake, carbohydrate intake, fat intake, and protein intake and had lower diabetes distress. The intervention group also maintained HDL-C levels and had a significantly greater increase in vegetable intake, while changes in triglycerides were similar in the two groups . CONCLUSION: The present study provides evidence that nudge strategy-based dietary education intervention is effective in improving blood glucose, BMI, blood lipid levels, and blood pressure and facilitating changes in patients' dietary behavior and diabetes distress. These findings suggest that implementing nudge strategies can contribute to the optimization of T2DM dietary management and overall patient well-being.

Delivering a Smartphone Serious Game-Based Intervention to Promote Resilience for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Feasibility Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to test the feasibility of a smartphone serious game-based intervention to promote resilience for adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHOD: A two-arm feasibility study was employed. Adolescents with T1DM were recruited. Adolescents in intervention group completed the serious game (named "WeCan") in one month. We evaluated feasibility and acceptability using criteria such as the recruitment response rate, the follow-up response rate, and satisfaction. RESULTS: Sixty-one adolescents with T1DM were included in this study. The study had a recruitment response rate of 62.89% (61/97) and an intervention completion rate of 64.52% (20/31). Eighty-two percent of the adolescents were satisfied with WeCan, which they perceived to have the advantages of being a lively format, attractive, and privacy, easy to operate, and improved attitude towards diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that WeCan demonstrated good feasibility among the target population. However, the efficacy of health-related outcomes needs to be clarified in future studies.

The specially designed nudging tableware promotes healthy food choices: Evidence from a randomized crossover trial in normal-weight young adults.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of the specially designed nudging tableware, including a plate and bowl, on individual food choices in normal-weight young adults and preliminarily explore its mechanisms. We hypothesized that the toolset could increase the choice of vegetables and decrease that of rice. METHODS: A randomized, single-blind, two-period crossover trial was carried out among 40 normal-weight university students in China. All subjects completed two buffets separated by an interval of one week, wearing the eye tracker. Vegetable choice, evaluated through the proportion of vegetables, was the primary outcome, and the weight of vegetables and rice were the secondary outcomes. The mechanisms of the decision-making process were preliminarily explored through eye tracking. RESULTS: The usage of the nudging tableware significantly increased the proportion of vegetables and decreased the amount of rice taken (P<0.05), while insignificantly increased the weight of vegetables (P = 0.079). Eye tracking shows that the nudging plate significantly prolonged the food-choosing process and fixation duration on vegetables (P<0.05), and the latter was positively correlated to the increased quantity of vegetables while using the nudging plate (r = 0.493, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The specially designed nudging tableware might be an effective and practical tool to promote the choice of less rice and more vegetables. Mechanisms behind this change might include automatic and unconscious processes with the inconspicuously smaller capacity of the bowl and larger portion size of the vegetable segment, and increased attention triggered by the vegetable patterns and larger green underpainting.

Weight Management during Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Summary of Current Evidence and Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Weight management during pregnancy and the postpartum period is an important strategy that can be utilized to reduce the risk of short- and long-term complications in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We conducted a systematic review to assess and synthesize evidence and recommendations on weight management during pregnancy and the postpartum period in women with GDM to provide evidence-based clinical guidance. METHODS: Nine databases and eighteen websites were searched for clinical decisions, guidelines, recommended practices, evidence summaries, expert consensus, and systematic reviews. RESULTS: A total of 12,196 records were retrieved and fifty-five articles were included in the analysis. Sixty-nine pieces of evidence were summarized, sixty-two of which focused on pregnancy, including benefits, target population, weight management goals, principles, weight monitoring, nutrition assessment and counseling, energy intake, carbohydrate intake, protein intake, fat intake, fiber intake, vitamin and mineral intake, water intake, dietary supplements, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweeteners, alcohol, coffee, food safety, meal arrangements, dietary patterns, exercise assessment and counseling, exercise preparation, type of exercise, intensity of exercise, frequency of exercise, duration of exercise, exercise risk prevention, and pregnancy precautions, and seven focused on the postpartum period, including target population, benefits, postpartum weight management goals, postpartum weight monitoring, dietary recommendations, exercise recommendations, and postpartum precautions. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers can develop comprehensive pregnancy and postpartum weight management programs for women with GDM based on the sixty-nine pieces of evidence. However, because of the paucity of evidence on postpartum weight management in women with GDM, future guidance documents should focus more on postpartum weight management in women with GDM.

Prediction Models for Prognosis of Hypoglycemia in Patients with Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically summarize the reported prediction models for hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes, compare their performance, and evaluate their applicability in clinical practice. METHODS: We selected studies according to the PRISMA, appraised studies according to the Prediction model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST), and extracted and synthesized the data according to the CHARMS. The databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 31 October 2021 using a systematic review approach to capture all eligible studies developing and/or validating a prognostic prediction model for hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes. The risk bias and clinical applicability were assessed using the PROBAST. The meta-analysis of the performance of the prediction models were also conducted. The protocol of this study was recorded in PROSPERO (CRD42022309852). RESULTS: Sixteen studies with 22 models met the eligible criteria. The predictors with the high frequency of occurrence among all models were age, HbA1c, history of hypoglycemia, and insulin use. A meta-analysis of C-statistic was performed for 21 prediction models, and the summary C-statistic and its 95% confidence interval and prediction interval were 0.7699 (0.7299-0.8098), 0.7699 (0.5862-0.9536), respectively. Heterogeneity exists between different hypoglycemia prediction models (τ2 was 0.00734≠0). CONCLUSIONS: The existing predictive models are not recommended for widespread clinical use. A high-quality hypoglycemia screening tool should be developed in future studies.

Effectiveness of resilience-promoting interventions in adolescents with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of resilience-promoting interventions among adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years with any type of diabetes. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases from inception to May 25, 2022. The Cochrane risk of bias tool (version 2) was used to assess the quality of the included studies. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate the pooled effects of resilience-promoting interventions. RESULTS: Nineteen articles were included covering an overall sample of 2048 adolescents with diabetes. When analyzing the effectiveness of resilience-promoting interventions, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at six months [mean difference = - 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) = - 0.83 to - 0.12, P = 0.009] after the intervention was improved. However, long-term (≥ 12 months) improvement in HbA1c was not significant. In addition, comparing the control group, there were significant differences in the effect size for stress [standardized mean difference (SMD) = - 0.87, 95% CI = - 1.25 to -0.48, P < 0.05], self-efficacy (SMD = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.02-0.98, P = 0.04) and quality of life (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.03-0.51, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Resilience-promoting intervention is a promising way for adolescent diabetes management to improve HbA1c, stress, self-efficacy, and quality of life. Incorporating resilience-promoting components into diabetes education and re-enforcing these contents every six months are recommended for implementation in clinical practice.

The nudge strategies for weight loss in adults with obesity and overweight: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Obesity and overweight conditions have become major health challenges worldwide. The exploration of effective weight loss strategies is essential. Nudges are currently advancing approaches that represent a new and better method for changing the behaviors of people. However, the effectiveness of nudge interventions on weight loss in overweight people who may be obese has not been synthesized in a systematic manner. In this study, a systematic literature search was performed. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were considered. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as summary statistics. In total, 25 RCTs involving a population of 5,929 individuals were included. Significant effects of the nudge strategy on weight loss (WMD: -0.96 kg, 95% CI: -1.49 to -0.43), body mass index (WMD: -0.3 kg/m2, 95% CI: -0.41 to -0.19) and waist circumference (WMD: -0.75 cm, 95% CI: -1.23 to -0.27) were observed. The subgroup analysis showed that the reduction in body weight associated with nudge interventions was significant in younger and more obese people. Moreover, the effect of nudge intervention on weight loss weakened over time. Overall, the nudge strategy can promote changes in weight loss, body mass index and waist circumference of adults, albeit at a mild magnitude and in particular types of individuals. Nudge strategies can be recommended to clinical practitioners and policy-makers to promote obesity management.