MON-018 Effectiveness of the National Diabetes Prevention Program in Latino Men

Introduction The United States Latino population has disproportionately high rates of type 2 diabetes, with a 11.8% prevalence, which is among the highest for all ethnic groups nationwide. Additionally, 43% of Latino adults are obese (vs 36% for Caucasian) making Latinos 50% more likely to suffer from obesity and DM2. The National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) is an evidence-based group lifestyle intervention program with demonstrated efficacy among diverse populations. However, due to generally low enrollment rates among Latino men, its applicability to this group remains in question. The VUELA DPP is a community-based NDPP for Latinos, run by the non-profit community organization VUELA for Health in partnership with a regional medical center. Classes are primarily taught in Spanish at sites already frequented by the local Latino community, allowing for high recruitment and retention rates of Latino men and women. Here we report on the effectiveness of the VUELA DPP among Latino men participants. Methods Data were analyzed from 147 male participants aged 17 to 83 years enrolled in the NDPP from January 2014 to July 2018. Variables included: age, race/ethnicity, number of sessions attended, weight, and physical activity. The number of sessions attended was categorized by quartiles representing a fourth of the distributed population (1-10, 11-16, 17-22, and 23-25 sessions). Weight loss was determined from the first and last weight. Averages and odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals to evaluate male participation in the program and weight loss. Results The majority of participants were between 35 and 50 years old (x̅=48.2) and identified as Hispanic White (n=119). Additionally, 8 participants identified as Non-Hispanic (NH) White, 2 as NH Black, and 1 as NH American Indian/Alaskan Native. Overall, males attended an average of 15.7 of 24 sessions (SD=6.4), with the fewest sessions attended being 1 and the most being 25 sessions. On average, males lost a total of 6.94 pounds (SD=8.7) and exercised a total of 115.2 minutes weekly (SD=72.7). Logistic regression analysis revealed that greater participation was associated with more weight loss, with participants who attended 17-22 sessions being 1.6 times more likely to lose weight (CI=0.31-3.31; p=0.4) and participants who attended 23-25 sessions being 3.2 times more likely to lose weight (CI=0.37-28.0; p=0.3). Participants who attended 19-25 classes were 2.97 times more likely to lose weight (CI=0.73-12.07; p=0.13). Discussion Our culturally-tailored NDPP program was successful in engaging Latino males. Greater participation of Latino men was correlated with greater weight loss and physical activity. More research is needed to evaluate the factors such as education, awareness, and social support that may increase Latino male participation in DPP and similar lifestyle intervention programs.