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Objective:To determine which elements of an online adaptation of the Diabetes Prevention Program’s lifestyle program were most and least useful to participants
Methods:Fifty adults were invited to complete a semi-structured interview after finishing a one-year online lifestyle intervention (average weight change: -4.79 kg). Using content analysis, we developed an iterative codebook. Two individuals independently coded all transcripts (kappa=0.99). We examined the distribution of responses regarding usefulness of five program elements.
Results: Thirty-five participants completed the interview. Lifestyle coaching was the most strongly endorsed feature, with 77% reporting an excellent/good experience. Its most useful aspects were the encouragement/support provided by the coaches (reported by 51%) and their responsiveness to participants (51%); 40% of respondents reported no criticism of the coaching. Online self-monitoring tools were described as excellent/good by 51% of respondents, with graphical progress reports identified as the most useful facet (51%) and the limited functionality as the least useful (63%). Many respondents (49%) felt that completing online lessons was a excellent/good experience; useful features included strategies for developing healthier lifestyles (43%), information (29%) and how that information was presented (29%). While the resources web-page was useful to many individuals who accessed it, 46% did not do so. Similarly, chat sessions were not accessed by 89% of respondents, reflecting lack of interest (29%), scheduling conflicts (23%) and technical concerns (17%).
Conclusion:Personalized lifestyle coaching, self-monitoring tools and automated, standardized lessons were the most useful aspects of an online lifestyle program. Links to reputable resources and chat sessions were often unused.