Determinants of Readiness for Adopting Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Among Indigenous Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes in Manitoba, Canada: A Cross-Sectional Study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine whether the readiness for adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with mental health and comorbid conditions in youth with T2D. MethodsA cross-sectional comparison of various measures of mental health (distress, stress, resilience) and comorbid conditions (glycated hemoglobin, adiposity, hypertension) was conducted within a cohort of indigenous youth with T2D living in Canada, stratified according to their readiness to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors based on Prochaska's transtheoretical model. ResultsWithin the entire cohort (n=162), only 14% were considered ready to adopt all healthy lifestyle behaviors. The readiness to adopt all lifestyle behaviors was associated with higher positive mental health (47 vs. 39 units; P<0.05) and sense of mastery (40 vs. 37 units; P<0.05), lower perceived stress (27 vs. 29 units; P<0.05) and distress (8 vs. 10 units; P<0.05), and better glycemic control (HbA1c: 8.42.6% vs. 9.7 +/- 2.8%; P<0.05) compared with youth who were not ready to adopt all lifestyle behaviors. ConclusionsThe readiness for adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors is low among adolescents with T2D. Being ready to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors is associated with better mental health and glycemic control.