DiaCal Mobile Apps: A pilot evaluation study on perceived of diabetes risk improvement

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia caused by defects in insulin action, insulin secretion, or both. Early identification of patients with undiagnosed T2DM or those at higher risk of developing T2DM is crucial. Mobile applications are believed to help individuals prevent type 2 diabetes and change their lifestyle habits. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the preliminary effect of a diabetes risk calculator mobile application (DiaCal) on the perceived risk of diabetes score of residents in Mejing Lor Hamlet, Ambarketawang Village, Gamping, Sleman, Yogyakarta. Methods: The study was conducted using a one-group pre-test post-test design. The number of respondents involved was 50 respondents. Respondents were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. Risk perception survey for developing-diabetes (RPS-DD) used to collect the data. Results: The results of this study indicate a difference between the perception of diabetes risk in the pretest and posttest in respondents after being given the intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusion: An education intervention through Diacal was associated with an improvement of diabetes risk perception among the participants. Therefore, increased awareness of the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus among the general population, accompanied by the adoption of healthy lifestyles, is critical for effective prevention.