Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading conditions resulting in high health costs and lost productivity. In recent year there is a growing interest for managing these chronic conditions through engagement of workplace wellness programs. In this study we examined the short and long term effects of an ongoing multicomponent lifestyle intervention improvement program (My Unlimited Potential (MyUP), among employees of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large not-for-profit health care system.
Method: The present analysis focuses on the efficacy of an intensive lifestyle workplace intervention among individuals presenting with diabetes mellitus. The intervention provided tools to improve physical activity, stress and dietary habits. A multi-disciplinary team made up of an advanced nurse practitioner (ARNP), registered dietician (RD), exercise physiologist (EP), certified diabetic educator (CDE), and registered nurse (RN) met with participants to provide one-on-one counseling and training.
Results: The current study assessed 33 (58 years +/- 8.8, 67% female) employees with diabetes mellitus enrolled in the MyUp wellness program who completed baseline, 12-weeks, 6 months and 1 year assessments. Significant short and long term improvements in cardio-metabolic risk factors were observed (Table1). Positive change in distribution of cardiovascular risk factors was noticed at 3, 6 and 12 months (Fig1). Conclusion: These results suggest that a multi component workplace lifestyle modification program results in both short and long term improvement in cardiovascular disease risk among employees with diabetes mellitus. Further large studies are needed to confirm our study findings.
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