Effectiveness of Diabetes Prevention Program translations among African Americans

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) demonstrated risk reduction for incident diabetes through weight loss among all participants, including African Americans. Several DPP translations have been conducted in less controlled settings, including primary care practices and communities; however, there is no detailed compilation of how effective these translations have been for African Americans. This systematic literature review evaluated DPP translations from 2003 to 2012. Eligible records were retrieved using a search strategy of relevant databases and gray literature. Retrieved records (n = 1,272) were screened using a priori criteria, which resulted in 21 full‐text studies for review. Seventeen studies were included in the full‐text qualitative synthesis. Seven studies had 100% African American samples and 10 studies had mixed samples with African American subgroups. African American participants’ average weight loss was roughly half of that achieved in the DPP intervention. However, with few higher‐quality studies, small sample sizes and differences in intervention designs and implementation, comparisons across interventions were difficult. The suboptimal effectiveness of DPP translations among African American adults, particularly women, signals the need for enhancements to existing evidence‐based interventions and more high‐quality research that includes other at‐risk African American subgroups such as men and younger adults of lower socioeconomic status.