Outcomes of health care providers' recommendations for healthy lifestyle among U.S. adults with prediabetes.

Background: Lifestyle modification (i.e., weight loss, active lifestyle, healthy diet) is a recommended strategy for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between receiving a health-care provider’s recommendation and adherence to behavioral indicators of adaptation of a healthy lifestyle among adults with prediabetes.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (N=2,853) that included self-reported efforts to improve diet, lose weight, and increase physical activity and objective measures of body mass index, blood tests for lipids, and actigraph data on physical activity.

Results: When demographic variables, metabolic factors, and physical activity level were controlled, central obesity and elevated blood pressure were significantly associated with having prediabetes. Almost 40% of the respondents with prediabetes reported being told by their health-care provider during the previous year to control or lose weight, increase their physical activity, or decrease the fat and calories in their diet. Participants who were counseled to adopt a healthy lifestyle reported high adherence to weight control and diet modification. Selected objective measures supported that the health-care providers’ recommendations contributed to improved lifestyle.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that self-reported health-care provider’s recommendations for lifestyle modifications are associated with people actually engaging in healthier behavior. The results reinforce the importance of health-care provider’s making recommendations to promote adherence to a healthier lifestyle.