PROMOTING DIABETES PREVENTION IN THE WORKPLACE: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIABETES HEALTH COACHING AMONG OFFICE WORKERS

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing public health concern worldwide, with office workers being particularly vulnerable due to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy behavioral patterns. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a Diabetes Health Coaching intervention on reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus among office workers. A pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted from March to December 2025 involving 39 office workers from Health Polytechnic of Surakarta. Participants were selected using purposive sampling and received a structured Diabetes Health Coaching program focused on healthy eating, physical activity, weight management, and behavior change strategies. Diabetes risk was assessed before and after the intervention using the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) questionnaire. Most participants were aged 36–45 years (41.1%), male (71.7%), had completed senior high school education (46.2%), and reported a monthly income of more than IDR 2.5 million to IDR 4 million (61.6%). The mean FINDRISC score decreased from 5.67 ± 1.99 at baseline to 4.26 ± 2.04 after the intervention. Statistical analysis using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test revealed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (Z = -5.631, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that the Diabetes Health Coaching intervention effectively reduced type 2 diabetes risk among office workers. Health coaching may serve as a practical and effective workplace-based strategy for promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and preventing diabetes. Further studies with larger samples, control groups, and longer follow-up periods are recommended to confirm the long-term effectiveness of this intervention.