Table 3

Effectiveness of intervention on physical activity and dietary behaviour among South Asians at risk for diabetes

Changes in intervention group, n=165Changes in control group,n=149p Value
At T1*†At T2*At T1*†At T2*T2‡
Physical activityAny moderate-to-vigorous activity
 Participants with positive change (%)22 (17.1)20 (13.4)18 (14.9)21 (12.7)0.630
 Participants with negative change (%)9 (7)10 (6.7)11 (9.1)16 (9.7)
 Mean moderate-to-vigorous activity (min/week)163.1 (21.5 to 304.7)142.9 (−5.26 to 291.0)−34.3 (−189.6 to 120.9)0.5 (−149.5 to 150.6)0.672
 Mean total activity (min/week)83.1 (−82.9 to 249.2)−9.3 (−177.2 to 158.4)−174.8 (−383.2 to 33.5)¶2.9 (−197.9 to 203.7)0.297
Dietary intake§Fruit: 2 pieces/day (%)
 Participants with positive change (%)20 (15.9)28 (17.1)16 (13.3)30 (20.3)0.680
 Participants with negative change (%)21 (16.7)19 (11.6)13 (10.8)14 (9.5)
Vegetables: 200 g/day (%)
 Participants with positive change (%)12 (9.3)20 (12.1)19 (15.8)19 (12.8)0.787
 Participants with negative change (%)17 (13.2)17 (10.3)14 (11.7)12 (8.1)
Whole wheat: almost exclusively (%)
 Participants with positive change (%)8 (6.2)25 (15.2)14 (11.7)20 (13.4)0.667
 Participants with negative change (%)7 (5.4)7 (4.2)11 (9.2)4 (2.7)
Meal pattern: 3 meals/day at a regular times (%)
 Participants with positive change (%)22 (17.3)32 (19.5)19 (16.0)26 (17.6)0.329
 Participants with negative change (%)12 (9.4)11 (6.7)7 (5.9)17 (11.5)
Brown rice: almost exclusively (%)
 Participants with positive change (%)10 (7.8)12 (7.3)6 (5.0)19 (12.8)0.264
 Participants with negative change (%)7 (5.5)6 (3.7)5 (4.3)6 (4.0)
  • *Changes from T0 to T1 and T0 to T2 are described as number (percentage of total population) with a positive change (eg, from non-adherent to adherent to the guideline for fruit intake) or a negative change (eg, from a regular to an irregular meal pattern) at 1 and 2 years. The remaining participants had not changed their dietary intake or physical activity. For continuous measures, a mean change (95% CI) is given.

  • †Of the 314 participants with a measurement at baseline and at 2-year follow-up, 279 also attended the measurement at 1-year follow-up (148 in the intervention group and 131 in the control group).

  • ‡p Value for the intention-to-treat analysis of the difference in changes from T0 to T2 between the two groups.

  • §Derived from the national guidelines for diet (30), with the exception of rice for which no guideline has been established.

  • ¶p = 0.036.

  • T0, baseline measurement; T1, measurement after 1 year; T2, measurement after 2 years.