The Effects of a Health Partner Program on Improving Health Status Among Overweight/Obese Individuals With and Without Prediabetes

The purpose of this study was to compare baseline health status in overweight/obese adults with and without prediabetes and to determine whether a health partner program improved health status at 1-year follow-up from 2010 to 2011. Sociodemographic information, body composition, blood work, and health status were obtained from both baseline and 1-year follow-up visit. Healthy overweight/obese participants with prediabetes were likely to self-report poorer physical functioning compared with those without prediabetes at baseline. At the 1-year follow-up visit, compared with participants without prediabetes, participants with prediabetes had the greatest improvements in physical functioning. Although participants without prediabetes had a significant improvement in mental functioning, there were no significant differences in changes in mental functioning between those with and without prediabetes. Early interventions to improve health status are important, and provider advice and preventive measures aimed at improving health status should be integrated into clinical practice.