A short message service (SMS) intervention to prevent diabetes in Chinese professional drivers with pre-diabetes: a pilot single-blinded randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Aim: To determine the efficacy of delivering short-message service (SMS) to provide diabetes-related information in reducing the risk of developing diabetes in Chinese professional drivers with pre-diabetes.

Methods: A pilot single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted in Hong Kong between 05/2009 and 04/2012. Professional drivers with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were randomly allocated to either a SMS group receiving messages comprising knowledge and lifestyle modification on diabetes or to a control group with usual care. Primary outcomes were the incidence rate of diabetes mellitus over 12 and 24 months period.

Results: Fifty-four, out of 104 professional drivers recruited, were randomly allocated to intervention group. Fewer subjects developed diabetes at 12 months in intervention group (5.56%) compared to control group (16.00%). Relative risk (RR) of diabetes onset was 0.35 (95%CI: 0.10–1.24) and the number needed to treat (NNT) for preventing one diabetes was 9.57. At 24 months, RR increased to 0.62 (95%CI: 0.24–1.61) with a NNT of 10.58. Logistic regression showed a significant odds ratio of 0.04 (P = 0.021) for intervention group compared to control group at 12-month follow-up for completers and a non-significant odds ratio of 0.34 (P = 0.303) at 24-month follow-up.

Conclusions: The SMS program proved to have potential to reduce the risk of developing diabetes at 12 months but additional measures should be integrated to prevent or delay disease progression.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01556880.