New Obesity and Diabetes Findings from Wake Forest University School of Medicine Described (Association of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes With Labor Market Outcomes): Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions – Obesity and Diabetes

2023 AUG 24 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on obesity and diabetes. According to news reporting from Winston Salem, North Carolina, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Importance: An intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) has been shown to improve diabetes management and physical function. These benefits could lead to better labor market outcomes, but this has not been previously studied.”

The news editors obtained a quote from the research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine: “To estimate the association of an ILI for weight loss in type 2 diabetes with employment, earnings, and disability benefit receipt during and after the intervention. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included participants with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity and compared an ILI with a control condition of diabetes support and education. Data for the original trial were accrued from August 22, 2001, to September 14, 2012. Trial data were linked with Social Security Administration records to investigate whether, relative to the control group, the ILI was associated with improvements in labor market outcomes during and after the intervention period. Difference-in-differences models estimating relative changes in employment, earnings, and disability benefit receipt between the ILI and control groups were used, accounting for prerandomization differences in outcomes for linked participants. Outcome data were analyzed from July 13, 2020, to May 17, 2023. Exposure: The ILI consisted of sessions with lifestyle counselors, dieticians, exercise specialists, and behavioral therapists on a weekly basis in the first 6 months, decreasing to a monthly basis by the fourth year, designed to achieve and maintain at least 7% weight loss. The control group received group-based diabetes education sessions 3 times annually during the first 4 years, with 1 annual session thereafter. Main Outcomes and Measures: Employment and receipt of federal disability benefits (Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance), earnings, and disability benefit payments from 1994 through 2018. A total of 3091 trial participants were linked with Social Security Administration data (60.1% of 5145 participants initially randomized and 97.0% of 3188 of participants consenting to linkage). Among the 3091 with fully linked data, 1836 (59.4%) were women, and mean (SD) age was 58.4 (6.5) years. Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics were similar between linked participants in the ILI and control groups.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Employment increased by 2.9 (95% CI, 0.3-5.5) percentage points for the ILI group relative to controls (P = .03) with no significant relative change in disability benefit receipt (-0.9 [95% CI, -2.1 to 0.3] percentage points; P = .13). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cohort study suggest that an ILI to prevent the progression and complications of type 2 diabetes was associated with higher levels of employment. Labor market productivity should be considered when evaluating interventions to manage chronic diseases.”

For more information on this research see: Association of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes With Labor Market Outcomes. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2023. The publisher for JAMA Internal Medicine is American Medical Association (AMA).

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.3283.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Nicholas M. Pajewski, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Additional authors for this research include Peter J. Huckfeldt, Jeffrey C. Yu, Paul K. O’Leary, Ann S. M. Harada, Chris Frenier, Mark A. Espeland, Anne Peters, Michael P. Bancks, Seth A. Seabury, Dana P. Goldman.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)