(P11-048-25) Study Protocol - Creation and Execution of a Sorghum-Based Intervention for Diabetes Prevention in People With Overweight or Obesity: The Grain in Motion Program

Objectives: We aim to develop and implement an innovative sorghum-based nutrition intervention for diabetes prevention in people with overweight or obesity to assess the effectiveness of this nutrition intervention on 1) nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy, 2) insulin and glucose levels, 3) lipid profile, 4) anthropometrics and body composition, and 5) sorghum consumption.

Methods: This 8-week theory-based program will be a randomized-control trial with two groups (n=64). The eligibility criteria are: 1) participants with overweight or obesity (BMI >25), 2) no food allergies, 3) aged 18-44 years, and 4) taking no prescription. Participants who withdraw or fail to meet the eligibility criteria will be excluded. The Health Belief Model was applied for the entire program. The intervention group will receive nutrition education focusing on wholegrain sorghum and diabetes prevention, along with 65g of sorghum for daily consumption, and it will be provided in different formats (e.g., grits, cooked sorghum). The control group will follow their usual eating habits without sorghum. For the intervention group, a 90-minute weekly in-person session will consist of a 30-minutes lecture and a 60-minutes of hands-on activity for reinforcement (e.g., cooking demonstration, sorghum tasting). The education content (e.g., format and knowledge level) is based on a needs assessment that was previously conducted. The differences in sorghum knowledge, diabetes knowledge, and self-efficacy will be measured using a validated questionnaire through qualtrics^XM. A blood draw for insulin, blood glucose, and lipid profile, a DXA scan for body composition, anthropometrics measurements, and sHEI for diet quality will be taken at baseline and postintervention. Descriptive statistics will be used for participants’ anthropometrics and demographic. Multiple linear regression will be conducted to evaluate the effect of the intervention between and within groups adjusting the effect of other variables.

Results: N/A

Conclusions: We expect that this tailored sorghum-based intervention will contribute to the knowledge on sorghum’s health effects on the metabolism of individuals with obesity or overweight while increasing nutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, and sorghum consumption to prevent diabetes.

Funding Sources: College of Health & Human Sciences, Texas Tech University