Effects of a Community-Based Diabetes Prevention Program for Latino Youth with Obesity: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the short- and long-term effects of a community-based lifestyle intervention among Latino youth with obesity. METHODS: Latino adolescents (14–16 years old) were randomized to a 3-month lifestyle intervention (N=67) or comparison control (N=69) and followed for 12-months. The intervention included weekly nutrition and health classes delivered to groups of families and exercise sessions (3 days/week) delivered to groups of adolescents. Comparison youth received laboratory results and general health information. Primary outcomes included insulin sensitivity and weight-specific quality of life (QoL) with secondary outcomes of BMI%, waist circumference and percent body fat. RESULTS: At 3-months, youth in the intervention group exhibited significant increases in insulin sensitivity (p<0.05) and weight-specific QoL (p<0.001) as well as reductions in BMI%, waist circumference and percent body fat compared to controls. Increases in weight-specific QoL and reductions in BMI% and percent body fat remained significant at 12-months (p<0.001) while changes in insulin sensitivity did not. In a subsample of youth with prediabetes at baseline, insulin sensitivity (p=0.01), weight-specific QoL (p<0.001), and BMI% (p<0.001) significantly improved at 3-months. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle intervention can improve cardiometabolic and psychosocial health in a vulnerable population of Latino adolescents at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.