Evaluation of a Web Platform to Record Lifestyle Habits in Subjects at Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes in a Middle-Income Population: Prospective Interventional Study

Background
Lifestyle is the focus of type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention strategies. Prevention strategies using mobile health (mHealth)–based therapy have shown positive results for T2D prevention in high-income settings, but little is known about their effectiveness in low- and middle-income populations where the burden of T2D is substantial. “Vida Sana” is a web platform designed to record lifestyle habits and medication use within a lifestyle change program.


Objective
We sought to identify the barriers, feasibility, usability, and effectiveness of Vida Sana to record lifestyle habits in subjects at risk of developing T2D in a middle-income setting.


Methods
This was a 3-month prospective interventional study in Mexican individuals. A total of 77 subjects at risk of T2D (with prediabetes and BMI between 24 and 40 kg/m2) were selected. Feasibility was assessed by study retention. Usability was evaluated with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Effectiveness measures included changes in weight, body composition, BMI, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and fasting blood glucose from baseline to 3 months. Linear regression models were used to account for covariates.


Results
The feasibility of Vida Sana was 42%, with 33 subjects using the platform, and the usability was 48.7 (SD 14.24). Reported barriers to platform usage were; difficulty in accessing the platform from difficulty of use (12 subjects, 36%), lack of time to record their habits (11 subjects, 34%), lack of interest to record their habits (6 subjects, 18%), and lack of resources (4 subjects, 11%). The platform was effective for lowering glucose in fasting (–3.1 mg/dL vs –0.11 [SD 8.08] mg/dL; P=.038) and at 2 hours (–16.9 mg/dL vs 2.5 [SD 26.1] mg/dL; P=.045), body fat percentage (–1.3 [–2.2 to –0.7] vs –1.02 [–1.9 to –0.3]; P=.02), and waist circumference (–3.2 [SD 5.1] cm vs –1.7 [SD 5.0] cm; P=.02) independent of their age, sex, treatment, and education level.


Conclusions
The use of the web platform was effective for improving glycemic and anthropometric parameters in a population at risk of developing diabetes. Improving accessibility and ease of navigation could improve the acceptance of digital health solutions in a middle-income population.