Soccer-based Adaptation of the Diabetes Prevention Program
Condition: Diabetes
MeSH terms: Diabetes Mellitus
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This is a longitudinal pre-post pilot intervention study evaluating feasibility of
      implementation of a soccer-based Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and preliminary changes in
      physical activity and diet-related measures. Overweight participants at high risk for type 2
      diabetes mellitus (T2DM) will be recruited through soccer interest groups, local leagues and
      Hispanic health organizations. After a baseline assessment visit, participants will attend
      soccer practice twice a week for 12 weeks while completing the National Diabetes Prevention
      Program (NDPP) core curriculum online modules with facilitated discussion by trained coaches
      during each soccer practice. Participants will then be invited to join an established
      small-sided soccer league in their community (for 12 weeks) offering one game per week and
      will also complete the NDPP maintenance modules and physical activity and diet self-tracking
      via mobile health technologies. After the core (first 12 weeks) and maintenance intervention
      periods (second 12 weeks) baseline measurements will be repeated. Data on the feasibility of
      this DPP soccer-based adaptation will inform future randomized, controlled trials testing the
      effectiveness of this translation model to reduce T2DM risk while extrapolating to other
      sports-based adaptation and age, gender and racial sub-populations.
    

Detailed description: 
      The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) has been successful in reducing the incidence of type 2
      diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through moderate weight loss and increased physical activity, and
      evidence from the original DPP suggests that adoption of increased physical activity (PA)
      habits are maintained up to 10 years among intervention participants when compared to
      control. Hispanic males are difficult to engage in traditional lifestyle or non-communicable
      chronic disease (NCDs) prevention interventions, yet, they have high rates of obesity and are
      at high risk for NCDs, particularly T2DM. Small-sided recreational soccer (RS) 6-12 month
      interventions have shown to be effective to achieve 5% weight loss and reduce
      cardio-metabolic risk, stemming from its varied movement patterns and highly functional
      training. Although proven cost-effectiveness and currently expanding in Europe, RS
      cardio-metabolic preventive interventions have not been tested in U.S. populations.

      To fill this gap in health promotion, the goal for this proposal is to utilize the local
      Hispanic community's interest in soccer as a vehicle to deliver an adapted DPP among male,
      overweight, Latino adults at high T2DM risk. The researchers will test the following central
      hypothesis: A soccer-based adaptation to the DPP, can be feasibly implemented in a middle-age
      Latino men population at high risk for T2DM. In lieu of the traditional walking or exercise
      program, participants will be enrolled in 12 weeks of soccer conditioning followed by 12
      weeks of small-sided soccer league play. National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) online
      core and maintenance modules will also be facilitated by trained coaches during soccer
      practice for the first 12 weeks and through monthly in-person meetings the last 12 weeks.
      Physical activity volume, sleep and sedentary time will be tracked objectively with wearable
      devices linked to an innovative research smartphone app that provides data to the researchers
      and tailored in-app notifications and surveys to the participant. Additionally, the study
      will assess implementation feasibility and explore preliminary signals for improvements in
      objectively-measured PA, dietary behaviors, physical fitness and body composition and quality
      of life outcomes with the soccer-based DPP adaptation.
    

Intervention name(s): Soccer-based adaptation to the DPP
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will complete online education modules during an initial 12 week conditioning phase where they will participate in soccer drills and other fitness routines (two 1-hour sessions per week). At the 12 week mark participants will transition onto a soccer league team for the following 12 weeks where they will continue to complete online modules and meet with the soccer coach monthly.
During the soccer sessions and games participants will be fitted with a wearable soccer-specific device to measure how much they move and their heart rate. In addition, they will also be asked to wear a Garmin fitness tracker for the duration of the study to measure steps and moderate and vigorous activity.
The online education will be a version of the Diabetes Prevention Program and can be completed on a phone or computer with internet access.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: This is a longitudinal pre-post pilot intervention study evaluating feasibility of implementation of a soccer-based Diabetes Prevention Program and preliminary changes in physical activity and diet-related measures.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Behavioral intervention