Evaluation of a Workplace Diabetes Prevention Program Delivered via Distance Learning: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Little is known about how distance learning impacts delivery of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) despite a rapid shift to this platform during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. We explored how a workplace DPP, delivered via distance learning, impacted knowledge, motivation, and behavioral skills of participants throughout the program. We conducted repeated qualitative interviews with distance learning participants at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months from September 2020 to July 2022. Three study team members coded interview data using individual responses as the unit of analysis. We used a thematic approach, using the information–motivation–behavioral skills framework, to analyze responses and generate understanding of the program’s impact. The 27 individuals who participated in the interviews (89% women, mean age 56 years) reported the distance learning platform was effective in changing their behavior. The program’s focus on food logging and setting limits on specific types of caloric intake was perceived as essential. Education on ideal levels of fat and sugar consumption, lessons on how to read food labels, and dissemination of recipes with healthy food substitutions allowed participants to initiate and sustain healthy decision-making. Strategies to increase physical activity, including breaking up exercise throughout the day, made reaching their goals more feasible. Participants reported food logging and weight reporting, as well as group support during sessions, either sustained or increased their motivation to adhere to the program over time. A workplace DPP delivered via distance learning successfully prompted improvements in the knowledge, motivation, and behavioral skills necessary to increase healthy eating and physical activity among participants.