A Novel Diabetes Prevention Intervention Using a Mobile App
Open accessAbstract
Introduction Mobile phone technology may be a cost-effective and convenient way to deliver proven weight-loss interventions and thereby prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and efficacy of a diabetes prevention intervention combined with a mobile app and pedometer in English-speaking overweight adults at risk for type 2 diabetes. Design RCT. Participants Participants included 61 overweight adults with a mean age (SD) of 55.2 (9.0) years. Seventy-seven percent were women, 48% were racial/ethnic minorities, and baseline BMI was 33.3 (6.0). Intervention The curriculum was adapted from the Diabetes Prevention Program, with the frequency of in-person sessions reduced from 16 to six sessions and group exercise sessions replaced by a home-based exercise program. A study-developed mobile phone app and pedometer augmented the intervention and provided self-monitoring tools. Main outcome measure Weight loss. Results Data were collected in 2012 and 2013 and were analyzed in 2014. In intention-to-treat analyses, the intervention group (n=30) lost an average of 6.2 (5.9) kg (-6.8% [5.7%]) between baseline and 5-month follow-up compared to the control group's (n=31) gain of 0.3 (3.0) kg (0.3% [5.7%]) (p<0.001). The intervention group's steps per day increased by 2,551 (4,712) compared to the control group's decrease of 734 (3,308) steps per day (p<0.001). In comparison, the intervention group had greater reductions in hip circumference (p<0.001); blood pressure (p<0.05); and intake of saturated fat (p=0.007) and sugar-sweetened beverages (p=0.02). The intervention had no significant effect on fasting lipid or glucose levels. Conclusions The significant weight loss resulting from this modified combined mobile app and pedometer intervention for overweight adults warrants further investigation in a larger trial.
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Of 52 included RCTs, 7 (13%) assessed the effects of 6 different DHI strategy combinations on FBG levels in patients with T2DM.
“Of 52 included RCTs, 7 (13%) RCTs [74,78,84,85,87,97,98] assessed the effects of 6 different DHI strategy combinations on FBG levels in patients with T2DM.”
From Assessing the Effectiveness of Digital Health Behavior Strategies on Type 2 Diabetes Management: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [98]
The Methods > Randomization and Results sections show that this was a randomized mobile-app intervention that assessed fasting plasma glucose. However, Methods says participants were at high risk for diabetes and excluded those with a self-reported diabetes diagnosis; it was not a trial in patients with T2DM. The counts of RCTs and strategy combinations describe the citing review, not this individual trial. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredOf 52 included RCTs, 8 (15%) assessed the effects of 7 different DHI strategy combinations on weight loss in patients with T2DM.
“Of 52 included RCTs, 8 (15%) RCTs [50,52,70,72,73,84,85,98] assessed the effects of 7 different DHI strategy combinations on weight loss in patients with T2DM.”
From Assessing the Effectiveness of Digital Health Behavior Strategies on Type 2 Diabetes Management: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [98]
The Methods (Randomization; page unavailable) describe a randomized comparison of a mobile-app intervention and a pedometer-only control, and the Results report weight loss. But the Methods explicitly exclude people with a self-reported diabetes diagnosis: this was a prevention trial in adults at risk for diabetes, not a weight-loss trial in patients with T2DM. The counts of 52 RCTs, eight trials, and seven combinations are the citing review’s accounting, not findings reported by this study. (LLM, conf=0.89)
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- Authors
- Fukuoka, Y., Gay, C. L., Joiner, K. L., & Vittinghoff, E.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fukuoka, Yoshimi
- Venue
- American Journal of Preventive Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-08
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 223-237
- ISSN
- 0749-3797 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4509889
- OpenAlex
- W1542667289
- Cited by
- 204
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 29.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- American Journal of Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000004, TR000004)
- University of California, San Francisco (TR000004, UL1-TR000004)
- National Institute of Nursing Research (K23NR011454)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (TR000004)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- type 2 diabetes prevention, mobile health apps, pedometers, weight loss, overweight adults, Diabetes Prevention Program, home-based exercise, self-monitoring, physical activity, saturated fat intake, sugar-sweetened beverages, blood pressure, hip circumference
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Feasibility Studies, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Weight Loss, Treatment Outcome, Cell Phone, Overweight, Weight Reduction Programs, Mobile Applications
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