Designing a Co-created Intervention to Promote Motivation and Maintenance of Time-Restricted Eating in Individuals With Overweight and Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To design an appealing time-restricted eating (TRE) intervention by exploring behavioral and social mechanisms to improve TRE adoption and maintenance among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and overweight. Time-restricted eating is an intermittent fasting regimen suggested to improve glycemic control and body weight. METHODS: Intervention development combined coherence theory and empirical data (workshops and semistructured interviews with the target group, their relatives, and health care professionals [HCPs]). Abductive analysis was applied. RESULTS: The analysis suggested designing the TRE intervention in 2 phases: a short period with strict TRE, followed by a longer period focusing on adapting TRE to individual needs with support from HCPs, relatives, and peers. To reinforce TRE motivation and maintenance, HCPs should adopt a whole-person approach that focuses on participants' previous experiences. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Important intervention elements to promote TRE adoption and maintenance are suggested to include a 2-phase design and support from professionals, family, and peers.