Nutritional Education Through Internet-Delivered Menu Plans Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: A potential barrier to weight loss and vascular risk reduction is difficulty in operationalizing dietary education into a concrete plan. Although a variety of Internet-based software tools are now available to address this issue, there has been little formal evaluation of these tools. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this single-arm pilot study is to determine the effect of a 24-week Internet-based menu-planning program, by examining pre- to postintervention changes in the body weight, blood pressure, and glycemia, specifically among overweight adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), a clinical population at high risk for vascular diseases. METHODS: A total of 33 adults with DM2 were recruited by collaborating registered dietitians to a 24-week Internet-based menu-planning program. Individualized dietary prescriptions were operationalized into weekly Internet-delivered menu plans through an adapted version of a commercially available service. Adherence was defined as logging into the program at least once per week for a minimum of 18 of the 24 weeks. Multiple imputations were used for missing data. Using baseline and postintervention assessments, we calculated the weight changes (mean, 95% CI) and investigated the corresponding effects (linear regression models) on blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) and hemoglobin A1C (ie, glycemia). RESULTS: The mean age was 58 (SD 7) years and the mean baseline body mass index was 34.4 (SD 4.6) kg/m(2). The results of this study showed that ≥5% weight reduction was achieved by 6/33 participants (18%) and by 5/18 adherent participants (28%). A mean weight change of −2.0% (95% CI −2.6 to −1.4) was observed, with changes occurring in the adherent (−3.6%, 95% CI −4.5 to −2.8) but not in the nonadherent (0%, 95% CI −0.6 to 0.7). It was found that each 1% reduction in body weight was associated with a −2.4 mmHg change in systolic (95% CI −3.5 to −1.2) and a −0.8 mmHg change in diastolic blood pressure (95% CI −1.4 to −0.2). Percent weight change was not found to be related to changes in A1C. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with DM2, an Internet-based menu-planning program has the potential to lead to clinically important weight reductions in more than one quarter of those who adhere, with corresponding improvements in blood pressure.