Qualitative evaluation of a Salutogenic Healthy Eating Programme for Dutch people with type 2 diabetes.

The salutogenic model of health (SMH) is a health-promoting theory that focuses on resources, strengths, and coping capacities in everyday life as a way to improve health and wellbeing. The SMH was applied to develop a programme for enabling healthy eating practices among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM): the SALUD programme. This study aims to gain insight in how participants with T2DM experienced the content and meaning of the SALUD programme. Three focus groups with participants (six to eight participants/group) that finished the SALUD programme were conducted. The focus groups were video-recorded, transcribed ad verbatim and thematically analysed. The SALUD programme was perceived by the participants as a positive, meaningful learning experience. Key factors why the participants described the programme as positive were that they felt a sense of social-belonging and (emotionally) safe (theme 1). The SALUD programme's positive encouraging approach presented by the coach invited participants to join an active learning process (theme 2). Performing trial-and-error experiments and weekly reflecting on goals is what characterized active learning. The meaningfulness of the learning process (theme 3) was derived from (i) positive self-confrontation; (ii) exploring mind-body connections and perceiving improved health and (iii) noticing positive changes in their social environment (theme 3). To conclude, the study uncovered that the SALUD programme incited a positive, meaningful learning process for healthy eating and the contextual factors important in this. Potential leads to further improve the SALUD programme are discussed in order to maximize the chance of inciting an inclusive, active learning process.

Effects of a Salutogenic Healthy Eating Program in Type 2 Diabetes (the SALUD Study): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Healthy eating can improve the course of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) considerably. As changing eating behaviors in everyday is challenging, there is a need for a nutritional strategy with an eye for everyday life of people with T2DM. A theory centered around the everyday life context is salutogenesis. Salutogenic principles have been operationalized in a new nutritional program for T2DM on food literacy and well-being: the Salutogenic Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes (SALUD) program. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the protocol of the invention study that will examine the quantitative and qualitative effects of the SALUD program. METHODS: A semiblinded randomized controlled trial will be performed in the Netherlands. A sample size of 56 (including a 30% dropout rate) people with T2DM has been calculated, of whom half (n=28, 50%) will follow the SALUD program (intervention) and half (n=28, 50%) will receive usual care (control). Recruitment strategies consist of advertisement via local health care professionals, posters, social media, and local newspapers. The SALUD program consists of 12 weekly web-based group sessions under the supervision of a certified lifestyle coach. Fidelity of the delivery is guaranteed by selecting a salutogenic coach, use of an intervention manual, training of the coach, weekly evaluation forms, and recording several sessions. The theoretical salutogenic principle of the intervention is mobilizing 2 important psychosocial resources required for organizing healthy eating in everyday life: self-identity and social support. Measurements will be performed at 3 times: at baseline (T0), after 12 weeks (postintervention; T1), and after 24 weeks (follow-up; T2). The primary outcome is food literacy, measured with the self-perceived food literacy scale questionnaire (expected effect size=0.9). Secondary outcomes are self-efficacy, quality of life, sense of coherence, diet quality, body weight, BMI, and waist-hip ratio. All outcomes will be tested with linear mixed models, following an intention-to-treat approach and standard principles of randomized controlled trials. In addition, a qualitative analysis will be performed. RESULTS: The proposed study will provide useful information on the effects of a salutogenic program on healthy eating and well-being in people with T2DM in everyday life. Recruitment started on October 1, 2021. The intervention participants followed the SALUD program between January and August, 2022. The acquisition of the data was completed on August 1, 2022; publications are expected in 2023. CONCLUSIONS: This study will be one of the first salutogenic interventions for T2DM, which will provide valuable information on what salutogenic intervention entail. The SALUD program may serve as a concrete, web-based tool. The combination of quantitative and qualitative measures allows a comprehensive evaluation of effects. These insights can be used for further optimalization of T2DM interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Registry, NL8963; https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NL8963. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/40490.

Flourishing mental health and lifestyle behaviours in adults with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: results from the Diabetes MILES - The Netherlands Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between mental health and lifestyle in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T1DM and T2DM). METHODS: Online survey data from the cross-sectional Diabetes MILES - The Netherlands Study was analysed, including 270 adults with T1DM and 325 with T2DM. Mental health status (flourishing, moderate and languishing) in relation to diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking was analysed with ANCOVA and logistic regressions (adjusted for confounders). RESULTS: 47% of T1DM-, and 55% of T2DM participants reported flourishing mental health. Due to an insufficient number, participants with languishing mental health were excluded. In T2DM, participants with flourishing mental health had more optimal diet quality (mean ± SEM: 70 ± 1 vs 68 ± 1 diet quality score, p = 0.015), and physical activity levels (mean ± SEM: 3484 ± 269 vs 2404 ± 273 MET minutes/week, p = 0.001) than those with moderate mental health, but did not differ with respect to alcohol consumption and smoking. In T1DM, no significant associations were found. CONCLUSION: Only in T2DM, people with flourishing mental health had more optimal lifestyle behaviours compared to people with moderate mental health. Further research is needed to determine if mental health is more important for specific lifestyle behaviours, and if the mental health effect differs across diabetes types.

Development of a salutogenic intervention for healthy eating among Dutch type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Healthy eating can be challenging for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. The theory of salutogenesis, which focuses on the resources required to organize behavioural changes in everyday life, was used to develop an intervention for healthy eating. The aim was to describe the development, structure and content of this salutogenic intervention. The development consisted of two phases that were based on the operationalization of important key principles of salutogenesis. In Phase 1 (Exploration and synthesis), a systematic review and three qualitative studies were performed to explore important characteristics to enable healthy eating in everyday life. The results were used to develop the draft intervention. In Phase 2 (Validation and adjustment), interviews and workshops were conducted with T2DM patients, healthcare providers and scientists. Based on this, the draft intervention was modified into its final form. The developmental process resulted in a 12-week, group-based intervention that aimed to enable important resources for healthy eating via self-examination, reflection, setting goals and sharing experiences. Attention was also paid to disease information, disease acceptance, food literacy, stress management, self-identity and social support. The group sessions began following an individual intake session, with a booster session held 3 months after the intervention. The researcher's translation of the stakeholders' priorities into an intervention was corrected for and approved by the stakeholders concerned. This comprehensive salutogenic intervention was developed based on practical and scientific evidence. Providing transparency in developmental processes and content is important because it determines the scientific integrity and credibility of an intervention.

Healthy eating can be difficult for people with the disease type 2 diabetes. This article describes how a programme aimed at helping type 2 diabetes patients to eat healthily was developed. The draft version of the programme was based on a theoretical framework that aims to understand what creates health in everyday life, and on conversations with type 2 diabetes patients and healthcare providers. The draft programme was adjusted based on the feedback of type 2 diabetes patients, healthcare providers and scientists. This resulted in a 12-week, group-based programme that enables people to think about who they are and what they want by setting health goals and sharing experiences. Attention was also paid to disease knowledge, disease acceptance, nutritional skills, dealing with stress, self-identity and social support. The group sessions began following an individual intake session, with a booster session held 3 months after the intervention. By involving everybody, we were able to develop a programme that takes into account the preferences, needs and priorities of all stakeholders. It is important to describe the development and the content of programmes encouraging healthy eating to determine their quality and effectivity.

The Diuretic Action of Weak and Strong Alcoholic Beverages in Elderly Men: A Randomized Diet-Controlled Crossover Trial.

With ageing, there is a greater risk of dehydration. This study investigated the diuretic effect of alcoholic beverages varying in alcohol concentration in elderly men. Three alcoholic beverages (beer (AB), wine (AW), and spirits (S)) and their non-alcoholic counterparts (non-alcoholic beer (NAB), non-alcoholic wine (NAW), and water (W)) were tested in a diet-controlled randomized crossover trial. For the alcoholic beverages, alcohol intake equaled a moderate amount of 30 g. An equal volume of beverage was given for the non-alcoholic counterpart. After consumption, the urine output was collected every hour for 4 h and the total 24 h urine output was measured. AW and S resulted in a higher cumulative urine output compared to NAW and W during the first 4 h (effect size: 0.25 mL p < 0.003, effect size: 0.18 mL, p < 0.001, respectively), but not after the 24h urine collection (p > 0.40, p > 0.10). AB and NAB did not differ at any time point (effect size: -0.02 mL p > 0.70). For urine osmolality, and the sodium and potassium concentration, the findings were in line. In conclusion, only moderate amounts of stronger alcoholic beverages, such as wine and spirits, resulted in a short and small diuretic effect in elderly men.