Effectiveness of Non-Contact Dietary Coaching in Adults with Diabetes or Prediabetes Using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary coaching and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in patients with diabetes or prediabetes to improve their behavioral skills and health outcomes. A randomized controlled study with pre- and post-testing was conducted. Data were collected between November 2020 and April 2021. Forty-five patients with diabetes or prediabetes who used a CGM device were enrolled and analyzed. Dietary education, individual coaching and group coaching were provided to participants in the experimental group for 4 weeks. After the intervention, the thigh circumference in men significantly differed between the two groups (z = −2.02, p = 0.044). For women, participants in the experimental group showed greater improvement in eating self-efficacy compared with those in the control group (z = −2.66, p = 0.008). Insomnia was negatively related to the change in eating self-efficacy (r = −0.35, p = 0.018) and increase in thigh circumference (r = −0.35, p = 0.017). Even if used within a short intervention period, non-contact dietary coaching programs can help enhance behavioral skills, such as eating self-efficacy and health outcomes, such as thigh circumference. Moreover, the changed variables can indirectly improve other health outcomes in patients with diabetes or prediabetes.