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Workplace Interventions to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Narrative Review

  • Economics and Policy in Diabetes (ES Huang and AA Baig, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of review

This study aims to summarize the recent peer-reviewed literature on workplace interventions for prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including studies that translate the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) curriculum to workplace settings (n = 10) and those that use different intervention approaches to achieve the specific objective of T2DM prevention among employees (n = 3).

Recent findings

Weight reduction was achieved through workplace interventions to prevent T2DM, though such interventions varied substantially in their effectiveness. The greatest weight loss was reported among intensive lifestyle interventions (i.e., at least 4 months in duration) that implemented the structured DPP curriculum (n = 3). Weight reduction was minimal among less intensive interventions, including those that substantially modified the DPP curriculum (n = 2) and those that used non-DPP intervention approaches to prevent T2DM (n = 3). Most studies (n = 12) reported increased levels of physical activity following the intervention.

Summary

Implementation of the DPP in workplaces may be an effective strategy to prevent T2DM among employees.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Hafez acknowledges support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in her role as a Clinical Scholar. Dr. O’Brien acknowledges support from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, National Institutes of Health (DK-K23095981). Dr. Ackermann acknowledges support from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (UL1 TR001422). Dr. Kullgren is a VA HSR&D Career Development awardee at the Ann Arbor, VA. Dr. Kullgren also received grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and from the Donaghue Foundation.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Dina Hafez & Allison Fedewa

  2. VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Dina Hafez & Jeffrey T. Kullgren

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Dina Hafez & Jeffrey T. Kullgren

  4. University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Dina Hafez & Jeffrey T. Kullgren

  5. Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Margaret Moran, Matthew O’Brien & Ronald Ackermann

  6. Center for Community Health, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Margaret Moran, Matthew O’Brien & Ronald Ackermann

  7. 2800 Plymouth Road, Building 14, Room G100-36, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2800, USA

    Dina Hafez

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  1. Dina Hafez
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Correspondence to Dina Hafez.

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Conflict of Interest

Dina Hafez, Allison Fedewa, Margaret Moran, Matthew O’Brien, and Ronald Ackermann declare that they have no conflict of interest. Jeffrey T. Kullgren has received consulting fees from SeeChange Health and HealthMine.

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Hafez, D., Fedewa, A., Moran, M. et al. Workplace Interventions to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Narrative Review. Curr Diab Rep 17, 9 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-017-0840-0

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