Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Dec 1;10(12):e0143398.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143398. eCollection 2015.

A Randomised Controlled Trial to Reduce Sedentary Time in Young Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Project STAND (Sedentary Time ANd Diabetes)

Stuart J H Biddle  1   2 , Charlotte L Edwardson  3   2 , Emma G Wilmot  3 , Thomas Yates  3   2 , Trish Gorely  4 , Danielle H Bodicoat  3   2 , Nuzhat Ashra  3   2 , Kamlesh Khunti  3   2 , Myra A Nimmo  1   2 , Melanie J Davies  3   2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A Randomised Controlled Trial to Reduce Sedentary Time in Young Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Project STAND (Sedentary Time ANd Diabetes)

Stuart J H Biddle et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a serious and prevalent chronic disease, is traditionally associated with older age. However, due to the rising rates of obesity and sedentary lifestyles, it is increasingly being diagnosed in the younger population. Sedentary (sitting) behaviour has been shown to be associated with greater risk of cardio-metabolic health outcomes, including T2DM. Little is known about effective interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour in younger adults at risk of T2DM. We aimed to investigate, through a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design, whether a group-based structured education workshop focused on sitting reduction, with self-monitoring, reduced sitting time.

Methods: Adults aged 18-40 years who were either overweight (with an additional risk factor for T2DM) or obese were recruited for the Sedentary Time ANd Diabetes (STAND) RCT. The intervention programme comprised of a 3-hour group-based structured education workshop, use of a self-monitoring tool, and follow-up motivational phone call. Data were collected at three time points: baseline, 3 and 12 months after baseline. The primary outcome measure was accelerometer-assessed sedentary behaviour after 12 months. Secondary outcomes included other objective (activPAL) and self-reported measures of sedentary behaviour and physical activity, and biochemical, anthropometric, and psycho-social variables.

Results: 187 individuals (69% female; mean age 33 years; mean BMI 35 kg/m2) were randomised to intervention and control groups. 12 month data, when analysed using intention-to-treat analysis (ITT) and per-protocol analyses, showed no significant difference in the primary outcome variable, nor in the majority of the secondary outcome measures.

Conclusions: A structured education intervention designed to reduce sitting in young adults at risk of T2DM was not successful in changing behaviour at 12 months. Lack of change may be due to the brief nature of such an intervention and lack of focus on environmental change. Moreover, some participants reported a focus on physical activity rather than reductions in sitting per se. The habitual nature of sedentary behaviour means that behaviour change is challenging.

Trial registration: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN08434554.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. CONSORT diagram of participant flow through the trial.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hex N, Bartlett C, Wright D, Taylor M, Varley D. Estimating the current and future costs of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the UK, including direct health costs and indirect societal and productivity costs. Diabetic Medicine. 2012;29(7):855–62. 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2012.03698.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wilmot EJ, Davies MJ, Yates T, Benhalima K, Lawrence IG, Khunti K. Type 2 diabetes in younger adults: the emerging UK epidemic. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2010;86(1022):711–8. 10.1136/pgmj.2010.100917 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wilmot EG, Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Gorely T, Henson J, Khunti K, et al. Prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose metabolism in younger ‘at risk’ UK adults: insights from the STAND programme of research. Diabetic Medicine. 2013;30(6):671–5. 10.1111/dme.12173 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Feltbower RG, McKinney PA, Campbell FM, Stephenson CR, Bodansky HJ. Type 2 and other forms of diabetes in 0–30 year olds: a hospital based study in Leeds, UK. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2003;88:676–9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Grinstein G, Muzumdar R, Aponte L, Vuguin P, Saenger P, DiMartino-Nardi J. Presentation and 5-year follow-up of type 2 diabetes mellitus in African-American and Caribbean-Hispanic adolescents. Hormone Research in Paediatrics. 2003;60:121–6. 10.1159/000072523 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data