Impact of a Diabetes Toolkit on Weight Loss Among Veterans.

Abstract

This quality improvement project aimed to answer the following clinical question: Among U.S. male veterans (N = 30) living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) receiving services from a Veterans Affairs (VA) endocrinology clinic, how does a diabetes toolkit influence knowledge and glycaemic control? All the study participants were male and from 31 to 91 years of age. A pre- and post-intervention diabetes knowledge test, body mass index (BMI), lipids, blood pressure, and lifestyle data were obtained as predictor variables. A1c levels were measured at baseline and fructosamine levels at 8-12 weeks post-intervention and converted to A1c levels. A diabetes toolkit was presented as an educational intervention to participating veterans. The pre- and post-intervention knowledge test measured an increase (p = 0.001) in diabetes knowledge. The pre- and post-intervention BMI, lipids, and blood pressure assessments measured changes in such variables associated with toolkit exposure. The regression model was marginally significant (p = 0.055) and the predictor variables explained 18.8% of variance in change of A1c. A multiple regression was conducted to determine the extent to which the following post-intervention outcome variables impacted glycemic control. Of four predictors, only one was significant: a patient's change in weight predicted (p = 0.016) a decrease in A1c.