Digital community-based programme reverses prediabetes in 20 percent of participants

27 Feb 2026
Kanas Chan
Kanas ChanAssociate Editor; MIMS
Kanas Chan
Kanas Chan Associate Editor; MIMS
The Jockey Club Community-based Diabetes Prevention Programme team, officiating guests, and collaborating partnersThe Jockey Club Community-based Diabetes Prevention Programme team, officiating guests, and collaborating partners

The Jockey Club Community-based Diabetes Prevention Programme, which combines in-person community support with a digital diabetes prevention model, is shown to reverse prediabetes in >20 percent of participants with prediabetes and obesity.

Prediabetes: A critical period for prevention

Approximately 30 percent of Hong Kong residents aged 15–84 years have obesity.  Obesity is a major risk factor for both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. [www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/ncd_watch_nov_2022.pdf; Circulation 2021;143:e984-e1010]

“Prediabetes represents a critical period for preventing diabetes and CVD,” noted Programme leader, Professor Mandy Ho of the School of Nursing at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Digital & community-based models

To target these at-risk individuals with obesity and prediabetes, nurses from HKU have developed the Jockey Club Community-based Diabetes Prevention Programme comprising two service models.

The first model is the In-person Community Diabetes Prevention Model, which combines group education with individualized nutrition counselling and emphasizes face-to-face interaction and peer support.

The second model is the Digital Diabetes Prevention Model, which uses mobile apps and online courses to deliver health education, behaviour change tools, and weight management support.

“The digital model provides greater flexibility to working adults, enabling them to practice healthy habits anytime and anywhere, making diabetes prevention accessible regardless of time or location,” shared Professor Chia-Chin Lin, Director of the School of Nursing at HKU.

Improving “3 Highs” & body weight

As of mid-January 2026, the programme had reached >1,000 participants and delivered positive results.

“It not only helped high-risk participants reverse prediabetes, but also improved their metabolic health and reduced metabolic syndrome – commonly known as the ‘Three Highs’,” pointed out Ho.

Results showed that:

  •  Nearly 30 percent of participants achieved clinically recommended weight loss of ≥5 percent.
  • >20 percent achieved normal blood glucose levels, effectively reversing prediabetes and reducing the risk of developing diabetes.
  • Nearly 30 percent had normalized blood pressure.
  • 22 percent of those with elevated cholesterol at baseline achieved normal levels.

By gradually adjusting diet and integrating exercise into daily routines to prevent weight rebound and maintain stable blood glucose levels, the participants successfully lost weight while maintaining satiety.

Programme expansion

In 2018, HKU launched Hong Kong’s first community-based diabetes programme for middle-aged people with prediabetes and obesity, which reduced diabetes risk. A later digital prevention programme demonstrated positive results, leading to the current Jockey Club Community-based Diabetes Prevention Programme.

“This initiative demonstrates our commitment to working with the community and turning research and evidence into real-world interventions that improve public health,” Lin said. “We will continue collaborating with community partners to advance evidence-based chronic disease prevention. Our goal is to expand this programme to more district health centres, reaching more citizens and putting the primary care principle of disease prevention into practice.”