Lifestyle Intervention IN Gestational Diabetes (LIVING)

Investigators have taken the learning from various programs to develop a new lifestyle program (LIVING) that has a high probability of being feasible, acceptable and cost-effective in the South Asian context for women with prior Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). Investigators will optimize this intervention using an iterative, systems-based and user-centered approach. The intervention will be delivered by auxiliary nurse midwives or their equivalent in each participating hospital, representing a strategy of within-system task-shifting to augment scalability and sustainability. Investigators will then evaluate this in a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) to determine whether it will reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), in a manner that is affordable, acceptable and scalable. This project focuses on generating new knowledge around implementation of a preventive strategy embedded within existing health systems, using mixed-methods evaluation to inform on cost-effectiveness, acceptability and scalability. It represents a case study into "Integrated Innovation TM" incorporating a science component (a program based on behavior change theory that supports a multi-level approach to prevention by combining individually targeted strategies with social support), a social component (an innovative workforce strategy) and a sustainability component (a systems perspective for integration with existing health system infrastructure).