INcreasing Veteran EngagemeNT to Prevent Diabetes (INVENT) (CDA 13-267)

There is tremendous national enthusiasm for translating and disseminating efficacious strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Yet, little attention has been devoted to how the investigators can better leverage the processes through which patients receive information about prevention of T2DM to better engage them in such prevention. Further, despite efforts to disseminate structured programs, many patients at high risk for developing T2DM may still be unable or unwilling to access them. In these cases, increasing patient engagement in individually directed lifestyle change or pharmacotherapy is critical. Strategies developed in the fields of behavioral economics and health psychology hold significant promise for improving Veteran engagement in each of these approaches. To date, however, these strategies have rarely been translated into real-world settings where they could benefit Veterans. This novel work will address this critical gap and could transform communication with Veterans about prevention in ways that will improve their health outcomes.

The following 5 strategies will be implemented in the weekly messages that study participants will receive: (1) tailoring to aspirations in life; (2) implementation intentions; (3) preference checklists; (4) urgency framing; (5) social norms. The investigators will implement these strategies alone and in combination in a 16-arm factorial design experiment.