Life! program results

Diabetes Victoria has been undertaking evaluations to understand the effectiveness of the Life! program. The key evaluation outcomes are participants’ improvements in behavioural outcomes (diet, physical activity, and sitting behaviours), physical outcomes (weight and waist circumference), and blood pressure measures (systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure).

Additional evaluation outcomes include participants’ perceived impact of the program on helping them increase knowledge of risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease, improving skills in adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours, and making positive changes to lifestyle behaviours, as well as participants’ satisfaction with the program.

In 2021-2022, the majority of Life! participants reported making positive changes to diet and physical activity, and rated the program as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

 

  • 65.4% of Life! participants

    reported making positive changes to diet.

  • 62.7% of Life! participants

    reported making positive changes to physical activity.

  • 97.5% of Life! participants

    rated the program as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

  • Evaluation and evidence

  • The Life! program effective in improving outcomes and reducing risk factors

    Conference presentation topic: The Life! program was effective in improving behavioural, physical and bio-medical outcomes, and reducing diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

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  • Online adaptation of a lifestyle modification program for CALD communities

    Conference presentation topic: Online adaptation of a lifestyle modification program effective for culturally diverse communities.

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  • Lifestyle modification program is effective for weight loss, but for whom?

    This poster presentation titled “Lifestyle modification program is effective for weight loss, but for whom?” was given at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO) Conference in October 2022 in Melbourne. The conference assembled diverse audience including policy makers, health professionals, researchers, advocates and people living with obesity.

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  1. Davis-Lameloise, N., Hernan, A., Janus, E.D. et al. The Melbourne Diabetes Prevention Study (MDPS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 14, 31 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-14-31
  2. Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Diabetes Care, 2014. 37(4): p. 934-942.
  3. Dunbar, J.A., Diabetes Prevention in Australia: 10 Years Results and Experience. Diabetes & Metabolism Journal, 2017. 41(3): p. 160-167.
  4. Dunbar JA, Hernan AL, Janus ED on behalf of the Melbourne Diabetes Prevention Study (MDPS) research group, et alChallenges of diabetes prevention in the real world: results and lessons from the Melbourne Diabetes Prevention StudyBMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care 2015;3:e000131. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2015-000131
  5. Janus, E.D., Best, J.D., Davis-Lameloise, N. et al. Scaling-up from an implementation trial to state-wide coverage: results from the preliminary Melbourne Diabetes Prevention Study. Trials 13, 152 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-13-152
  6. Jonathan Valabhji, Emma Barron, Dominique Bradley, Chirag Bakhai, Jamie Fagg, Simon O’Neill, Bob Young, Nick Wareham, Kamlesh Khunti, Susan Jebb, Jenifer Smith; Early Outcomes From the English National Health Service Diabetes Prevention Programme. Diabetes Care 1 January 2020; 43 (1): 152–160. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc19-1425
  7. Reddy, P., et al., Life! in Australia: translating prevention research into a large-scale intervention. The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease, 2011. 11(4): p. 193-197.
  8. Vaughan, C., P. Reddy, and J. Dunbar, From rural beginnings to statewide roll-out: Evaluation of facilitator training for a group-based diabetes prevention program. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2010. 18(2): p. 59-65.

 

Kick start your healthy living journey with articles and recipes from the Life! Program in our Health Hub