A new study from the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute in La Jolla shows that texting could be as good as medication at improving Type 2 Diabetes management.
The study looked at a low-income Hispanic community, known to have a high-rate of diabetes.
“Lower income individuals sometimes don’t have the education to know what is the right approach to taking care of diabetes," said Dr. Athena Philis-Tsimikas, who spearheaded the study.
The 63 participants who were randomly assigned to the study group received 354 texts over six months--about two to three short messages a day.
Some of the reminder texts read: "Use small plates! Portions will look larger and you may feel more satisfied after eating."
Another text said, "Time to check your blood sugar. Please text back your results."
Ninety-six percent of the study group participants said the text messages helped them to manage their diabetes "a lot" by the time the trial ended.
U.S. & World
"I lost weight," said Gloria Favela, a mural artist from Valley Center. "My blood sugars dropped. They were at a really healthy level.”