The Effects of a Web-Based Intervention on the Physical Outcomes Associated with Diabetes Among Adults Age 60 and Older: A Randomized Trial

Abstract

Background: The emergence of the World Wide Web in the last decade has made it feasible for the Internet to be a vehicle for chronic disease management. Methods: A randomized controlled trial ( n = 62) testing the effects of a 6-month web-based intervention plus usual care, compared with usual care alone, among adults 60 years of age and older with diabetes. The outcomes were hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Results: A multivariate analysis of covariance controlling for all baseline outcome variables, age, gender, and number of years with diabetes showed significant ( P = 0.001) reductions in HbA1c, weight, and cholesterol level and significant improvement in HDL levels in the intervention versus the control group. Conclusions: Findings show a web-based intervention was effective in improving HbA1c, weight, cholesterol, and HDL levels at a 6-month follow-up. Future research is needed to investigate the long-term effectiveness of web-based interventions.