Translation of the National Institutes of Health Diabetes Prevention Program in African American churches.

Objective: To translate the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) for delivery in African American churches.

Methods: Two churches participated in a 6-week church-based DPP and 3 churches participated in a 16-week church-based DPP, with follow-up at 6 and 12 months. The primary outcomes were changes in fasting glucose and weight.

Results: There were a total of 37 participants; 17 participated in the 6-session program and 20 participated in the 16-session program. Overall, the fasting glucose decreased from 108.1 to 101.7 mg/dL post intervention (p=.037), and this reduction persisted at the 12-month follow-up without any planned maintenance following the intervention. Weight decreased 1.7 kg post intervention with 0.9 kg regained at 12 months. Body mass index (BMI) decreased from 33.2 to 32.6 kg/m2 post intervention with a final mean BMI of 32.9 kg/m2 at the 12-month check (P<.05). Both the 6- and 16-session programs demonstrated similar reductions in glucose and weight; however, the material costs of implementing the modified 6-session DPP were $934.27 compared to $1075.09 for the modified 16-session DPP.

Conclusion: Translation of DPP can be achieved in at-risk African Americans if research teams build successful community-based relationships with members of African American churches. The 6-session modified DPP was associated with decreased fasting glucose and weight similar to the 16-session program, with lowered material costs for implementation. Further trials are needed to test the costs and effectiveness of church-based DPPs across different at-risk populations.