2diabeat Approach

Source: 2Diabeat

Approach

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is easier said than done. That’s why 2diabeat focuses on collaboration for lifestyle change in neighbourhoods or villages. The key to this national programme are local drivers whom 2diabeat supports with knowledge, networks and skills that are proven effective.

2diabeat sees stopping the rise of type 2 diabetes as a shared responsibility.

That’s why we developed an integral approach in which local residents and professionals collaborate on a healthy lifestyle in their neighbourhood or village.

Getting started in the neighbourhood

Our neighbourhood-oriented approach, developed in collaboration with approximately 200 experts and experience experts, helps accelerate, strengthen and connect initiatives. An important role in the approach is reserved for ‘drivers’. Drivers are local key figures who are intrinsically motivated to actively work on this in their own neighbourhood.

They fulfil a connecting role, function as coordinator of the local network and are the first point of contact for national support. Each neighbourhood has its own programme, but with one goal: Stimulating a healthy lifestyle. The national 2diabeat programme supports with knowledge, networks and skills that are proven effective. This way, neighbourhoods don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Four pillars

A healthy lifestyle is essential to prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes, which is why 2diabeat focuses on the four pillars of lifestyle change:

Physical Activity

Nutrition

Relaxation & Sleep

Mental Health

Characteristics of the 2diabeat approach

• Making the local lifestyle offerings visible through a lifestyle map. Think of an overview of walking and sports clubs, but also programmes from healthcare, welfare and lifestyle professionals, such as physiotherapists and dietitians.
• Evaluation of the local ‘healthy living’ offerings in the neighbourhood, in collaboration with residents and professionals. Where necessary, these offerings are adjusted, expanded or improved.
• Organisation of meetings. Residents and professionals come together to initiate lifestyle change. Think of a friendly barbecue with vegetables or a sporty walking event.
• Involving a broad network of neighbourhood residents and professionals in the 2diabeat approach to encourage people towards a healthier lifestyle.
• Access to a private WhatsApp group for local drivers from participating neighbourhoods or villages. This allows them to form a stronger local network and exchange knowledge, experiences and ask questions with each other, with other neighbourhoods and between disciplines.
• Access to a digital toolbox with resources for lifestyle change. Think of lifestyle interventions, apps, conversation cards and (diabetes) risk tests.
• Access to a digital support kit with tips and practical examples to stimulate a healthy lifestyle in the neighbourhood.
• Researching the effectiveness of 2diabeat at both local and national level through effect, process and socio-economic evaluation (Social Return On Investment, SROI).

The 2diabeat approach

In the local context, 2diabeat focuses on four core elements:

Target group: Through conversations with residents, the local driver maps specific needs and interests in the area of lifestyle.

Activities: Initiating activities that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, connecting to the needs and interests of residents.

Driver: A local driver is the contact point in the neighbourhood and supports involved neighbourhood residents, entrepreneurs and professionals from healthcare and welfare to promote a healthy lifestyle from their existing role in the neighbourhood. A 2diabeat neighbourhood advisor supports the local driver.

Healthy lifestyle central: The local driver initiates and organises local activities and meetings in the neighbourhood, suited to the interests and needs of residents. Stimulating a healthier lifestyle is central to this.

The national support from 2diabeat also consists of four core elements:

Learning network: Actively exchanging knowledge and experiences from local implementations in neighbourhoods and villages, both online and during physical meetings.

Basic approach & toolbox: The toolbox forms the basis of the local approach. We continuously enrich it with insights from the learning network and results from local research.

National coordination: 2diabeat neighbourhood advisors support local drivers with advice, tips and ideas.

Research: All local implementations are researched based on an effects framework. The 2diabeat programme itself is also evaluated. We research how the process of local implementations proceeds and what its effect is in different neighbourhoods and villages. We also examine the national approach and conduct a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis.

Want to know more?

Are you curious after reading about the approach how you can participate in 2diabeat in your neighbourhood and roll up your sleeves together with us?

Participate in your neighbourhood

Inspiration from the neighbourhoods

Dozens of neighbourhoods have already joined 2diabeat. Get inspired by stories from participating neighbourhoods and join!

Discover the stories of drivers

2diabeat support kit and toolbox

2diabeat supports professionals and residents who want to contribute to a healthy neighbourhood. We do this among other things through a support kit and toolbox containing useful resources, practical examples and interventions.

Open the support kit and toolbox