Logan diabetes pilot program easing loneliness and distress
- Logan is one of Australia’s diabetes hot spots, with over 23,000 people living with the condition
- A four-year pilot program is showing promising results in easing the burden of type 2 diabetes for participants
- Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia, with type 2 diabetes representing up to 90 per cent of all cases
A diabetes pilot program is easing the burden of the chronic condition in one of the nation’s diabetes hotspots.
Over 23,000 people in Logan live with diabetes, with potentially preventable hospitalisations due to type 2 diabetes complications nearly 60 per cent higher than the national average.
Logan Healthy Living in Meadowbrook, south of Brisbane, was established by the state’s prevention agency Health and Wellbeing Queensland. Since July 2021, it has been operated by UQ Healthcare as an innovative approach to chronic disease prevention and management.
The four-year pilot program has now treated over 400 people with type 2 diabetes through their free eight-week lifestyle management program.
On top of diet and exercise, the program tackles the mental, emotional and social challenges facing people living with or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Logan Healthy Living Clinical and Operations Manager Denis Giguere said the program is showing promising results.
‘Participants have reported increased confidence to manage their diabetes and quality of life, and decreased distress related to diabetes, feelings of loneliness and waist circumference,’ Mr Giguere said.
‘Those same participants also report over 95 per cent satisfaction in the care and services that they receive.’
Health and Wellbeing Queensland Chief Executive Officer Dr Robyn Littlewood said Logan Healthy Living could be used as a template to ease the burden of preventable chronic disease in other Queensland communities.
‘The Logan Healthy Living program aims to empower locals to improve their health and wellbeing while easing growing pressure on Logan Hospital,’ Dr Littlewood said.
‘We are conducting rigorous research and evaluation on the Logan Healthy Living program to inform a broad-scale approach to the prevention of chronic disease across Queensland.’
Health and Wellbeing Queensland has provided $2 million to support Logan Health Living, which is delivered through a Queensland-first alliance with The University of Queensland (UQ), UQ Health Care, Metro South Health, Brisbane South Primary Health Network and Griffith University.
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