Using motivational interviewing to reduce diabetes risk

Abstract

With the growing prevalence of diabetes worldwide, controlling modifiable risk factors for diabetes is essential to preventing complications and disease progression. Recent research strongly supports targeting at-risk prediabetes clients through therapeutic lifestyle change. Many behavior change techniques and strategies are known to be successful, yet are seldom implemented in today's health care arena. Nurses are in an excellent position to serve as change agents to assist at-risk prediabetes clients in making necessary lifestyle changes. Motivational interviewing has been shown to be effective in counseling clients toward behavior change. The major principles of motivational interviewing will be described and motivational interviewing techniques will be demonstrated using a scenario with a prediabetes client.