Effects of Adding a Registered Dietitian to Rural Community Healthy Behavior Support Services for Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Rural communities experience health care shortages of diabetes services provided by a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). This pilot study tested the feasibility of using rural community health screenings to recruit adults with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), testing its impact on health, diet, and physical activity. Recruitment, retention, and adherence rates measured feasibility. Health markers (BMI, non-fasted blood glucose and lipids) were collected at an initial and follow up (6-9 months) screening. Diet (24-hr) and physical activity (7-day) recalls were collected at the MNT visits (initial, 1 mo, 3 mo). Paired t-tests and linear mixed models assessed mean differences between timepoints. Based upon the results from this pilot study, future testing of the efficacy of this approach in a randomized controlled study may be warranted and may allow for expansion of diabetes services in rural Indiana.