The SSBC team is proud today to present the findings from the Small Steps for Big Changes in the Community Pilot Program from 2019-2020
SMALL STEPS FOR BIG CHANGES is a program designed to help individuals at risk of developing type two diabetes reduce their risk through diet and exercise modifications. The Small Steps for Big Changes program offers six, one-on-one diet and exercise counseling sessions over three weeks and a one-month follow-up appointment. This free program has been running for two years at the Kelowna Downtown YMCA since 2017 with coaches from the Diabetes Prevention Research Group (DPRG) running all sessions.
The goal of the pilot project was to transition Small Steps for Big Changes into a sustainable community program by creating a collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership between the DPRG research team at the University of British Columbia and YMCA of Okanagan staff and managerial team.
The key objectives of this pilot program were to:
- Train YMCA frontline staff and fitness managers to be Small Steps for Big Changes coaches
- Deliver Small Steps for Big Changes by YMCA staff at two YMCA sites
- Assess the fidelity, effectiveness, facilitators and barriers of training YMCA staff to become Small Steps for Big Changes coaches, and delivering the program
Read the full pilot program report here.
