The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center (PRC) is partnering with Colorado-based digital health company incentaHEALTH to offer a free online diabetes prevention program to study volunteers from Lower Naugatuck Valley as part of a research project to improve health in low-income communities.
The Healthy Me program is a year-long virtual lifestyle change program to help people reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes. It includes video sessions, exercise plans, meal ideas, and coaching from a certified Diabetes Lifestyle Coach. In addition, Community Health Workers will connect participants to local resources to help them meet their health goals.
Additionally, study volunteers can receive cash incentives for achieving a healthy weight with the support from coaching and at-home progress tracking.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three American adults has pre-diabetes, and 90% don’t know it. People with pre-diabetes have blood sugar
levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Pre-diabetes can lead to serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle changes that focus on healthful eating and physical activity can often prevent pre-diabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes and its complications.
People who would like to enroll in this no-cost program will be screened to meet the following criteria: (1) be at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, (2) be a resident of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, and (3) meet income requirements. For example, someone who qualifies for public assistance such as food stamps, SNAP benefits, unemployment benefits, welfare, or Medicaid (also known as HUSKY Health) will most likely qualify for this program.
For more information or to see if you qualify, please contact Rockiy Ayettey, Project Coordinator, at 203-732-1125. There are a limited number of available spots. More information about the Healthy Me program is available at https://healthyme.incentahealth.com/.
About the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center
The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center (PRC) was established in 1998 through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One of 26 Prevention Research Centers nationwide representing academic-community partnerships, the PRC is engaged in interdisciplinary applied prevention research designed to develop innovative approaches to health promotion and disease prevention that will directly benefit the public’s health. The Center has been researching the role of nutrition in chronic diseases for more than 20 years.
About incentaHEALTH:
Since 2003, incentaHEALTH has been reimagining how to make health rewarding by creating long-term, sustainable behavior changes that result in cost savings and improved health outcomes. It offers lasting weight management and diabetes prevention solution to individuals, employers, physician groups, and health systems. IncentaHEALTH programs provide daily, personalized health coaching, along with grocery shopping lists, customized meal plans, and easy-to-follow video exercise plans. This approach engages members through skill building, social accountability, and reinforcement. A patented Smart Scale delivers full body photographs and validated weight measurements to track members’ progress.