Does Texting Reduce Diabetes Risk?

People can reduce the risk of diabetes by following a 14-week text messaging program, researchers have found.

The phone education program informs participants about healthy eating habits, lowering the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

According to the researchers, the customized texting service-txt4health- helped participants become proactive about their health and switch to healthier diets.

The program was effective for those who used it till the end, but only 39 percent completed the 14 weeks. "We found that this method of health intervention had potential to significantly influence people's health habits and have great reach - however, sustained participant engagement across the 14 weeks was lower than desired," lead author Lorraine R. Buis, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the U-M Medical School, said in a news release.

"It's clear that a text message program may not be appropriate for everyone; however, for a large subset of people, this may be a feasible, acceptable, and useful strategy to motivate positive behavior changes," she added.

Enrolled participants stated that they were able to manage their intake of sugary drinks, consume fresh fruits instead of dessert, eat salad rather chips or fries during outing. They also bought healthier foods, grilled, baked and broiled food items than friend junk.

The respondents also said that the educational program increased their knowledge about the risk for developing type-2 diabetes.

"Text message programs may be a useful tool when used as a component in a broad-based public health campaign," Buis said. "However, sole reliance on this strategy may be cautioned when targeting a general population because the level of individual engagement widely varies.

"We need to further explore ways to improve retention rates among participants," she concluded.

The findings are published in the 'Journal of Medical Internet Research.'