| Summary: | Background: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in Kuwait and it is therefore important to investigate potential methods to improve outcomes through lifestyle modification in primary care. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based structured lifestyle intervention, including nutrition and physical activity in attaining optimal glycaemic control, and to investigate how factors affect compliance with interventions and outcomes. Design: The study was conducted as a 12-month two-arm randomised trial amongst Kuwaiti men. The intervention group, n=20, received two individual sessions and four educational group sessions with specific focus on exercise and dietary changes. The control group, n=20, received two individual sessions in addition to standard treatment. Eligible diabetes patients between 30-65 years old and who had been formally diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes were selected. The intervention group attended a group discussion session every two weeks and the duration ofthe sessions was 60 minutes. Results Data on diet, lifestyle and disease markers were collected at baseline and at the 12-month follow-up point. There were no statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between intervention and control group for most of the parameters. The primary endpoint of HbAlc in % was similar in both the intervention and control at the baseline, 8.5 (1.4) for the control and 8.8 (1.8) for the intervention; and at follow-up, 8.2 (7.6 -9.2) in the control and 8.4 (7.6. -9.2) for the intervention. At the same time, however, HbAlc in non-participating patients at the polyclinic increased from 8.45 (1.75) to 9.2 (1.8). The drop-out rate for this study was 10%. Conclusion Simply offering this intervention could be useful for Type 2 diabetes patients in Kuwait. The conducted study showed that the intervention and control group achieved better outcomes than patients who were not involved in any lifestyle intervention programs.
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