Physician-Directed Primary Care Intervention to Reduce Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in High-Risk Youth

The incidence of type 2 diabetes in youth is increasing at an alarming rate. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether a nutrition and physical activity intervention in an urban primary care office is feasible and effective in decreasing risk factors for type 2 diabetes in high-risk youth. A one-group pretest/post-test design was used. Participants were recruited from existing patients in a primary care facility serving low-income children. Inclusion criteria included body mass index (BMI) over the 85th percentile for age and a fasting glucose-insulin ratio (FGIR) less than 6. Thirty-six African-American patients, 9males, 27 females, average age 12.4 years (range, 8–18) participated in a 12-week nutrition and physical activity program. Measurements included fasting glucose, insulin, FGIR, lipid profile, blood pressure, and BMI. BMI and laboratory values were tested for significant differences before and after intervention using paired t-tests. A P-value of