Seven-year follow-up of a multiple-health-behavior diabetes intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the long-term effects of multiple health-behavior changes from the Mediterranean Lifestyle Program. METHODS: The randomized trial targeted postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes (N = 279) at high risk for heart disease. The intervention featured a weekend retreat followed by regular meetings over 24 months to enhance healthful eating, physical activity (PA), stress management, and support behaviors. RESULTS: Long-term analyses indicated that significant improvements made in the targeted behaviors during the active treatment phase of the study (at 6, 12, and 24 months) were partially maintained during the nontreatment phase of the study, through 5 years postintervention contact for dietary behavior and stress management, and 1-year posttreatment for PA. CONCLUSIONS: This moderate-intensity group-based intervention produced health behavior changes that tended to plateau or return to baseline levels 1 to 5 years after treatment.