The National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized lifestyle change program aimed at preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in high risk individuals. While research on the NDPP has demonstrated effectiveness, participant attendance and retention within the NDPP remains a concern, with more information regarding engagement being a continuing need. To help address these issues, we conducted interviews with NDPP participants in New York State who dropped out of the program, examining individual, social, environmental, and programmatic factors contributing to their discontinued participation. We conducted interviews with 26 individuals from 11 different programs, representing rural, suburban and urban communities, and a variety of organizational settings. Among those interviewed, the reasons for dropping out of the NDPP can be grouped into three broad categories: (1) conflicting needs and obligations; (2) personal priorities and motivation; and (3) dissatisfaction with the program. Several who stopped their participation due to conflicting responsibilities, including competing health issues, reported benefits and expressed regret in not being able to complete the program. Our results suggest that participants who drop out of NDPPs do so for both programmatic and personal reasons, but that many found the program valuable regardless. In order to benefit a greater number of participants, interviewees recommended that NDPP providers be prepared to offer concrete resources (e.g., cookbooks, skill-building activities) for veterans of weight loss programs and be proactive (e.g., promoting make-up sessions) in case of scheduling conflicts and/or reduced motivation.
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