Information for participants
What is DP-Next?
DP-Next stands for Sustainable Type 2 Diabetes Prevention for the 21st Century. It is a research project conducted in collaboration between all seven Steno Diabetes Centres in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
The aim of DP-Next is to improve early identification and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Today, we do not fully understand why some individuals with elevated blood sugar develop type 2 diabetes while others do not. DP-Next seeks to improve this understanding and develop more effective and sustainable prevention strategies.
The project combines:
- Questionnaire data on health, lifestyle, and wellbeing
- Information from national health registers
- A new clinical cohort with detailed health examinations
- Development and evaluation of new prevention strategies
The overall goal is to improve prevention of type 2 diabetes by identifying individuals at higher risk and developing more targeted and effective prevention approaches.
Participation is voluntary.
What does the questionnaire involve?
The questionnaire collects information about factors that may influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The questionnaire includes questions about:
- Your general health and medical history
- Lifestyle, including diet, physical activity, and sleep
- Mental wellbeing, stress, and quality of life
- Social and work-related factors
- Family history of disease
The questionnaire is completed online using a secure system, and you can complete it at your own pace.
Your questionnaire responses may be linked with information from national health registers, such as diagnoses and laboratory results. This helps researchers better understand diabetes risk and identify different risk profiles.
All information is handled confidentially and in accordance with data protection regulations.
What do the clinical examinations involve?
Some participants will be invited to attend a clinical examination at a Steno Diabetes Centre. The purpose is to establish a new clinical cohort with detailed health measurements to improve understanding of early biological changes related to diabetes risk.
The examination takes approximately 4 hours and may include:
- Measurements of height, weight, and body composition
- Blood samples and blood sugar measurements
- A glucose tolerance test
- Measurement of liver fat
- Blood pressure and cardiovascular measurements
- Assessment of physical activity
- Storage of biological samples in a research biobank
These examinations help researchers understand differences in diabetes risk between individuals and identify early biological markers of disease development.
Participation in the clinical examination is voluntary and requires separate consent.
What does the intervention involve?
A key goal of DP-Next is to develop new and more effective strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Based on findings from the questionnaires, health registers, and clinical examinations, researchers will develop prevention strategies tailored to different risk groups. These strategies are developed in collaboration with participants, healthcare professionals, and researchers to ensure they are relevant and feasible in real-world healthcare settings.
The intervention development may focus on:
- Supporting healthy lifestyle changes
- Improving prevention and follow-up in healthcare
- Developing new approaches to prevention tailored to individual risk
The aim is to develop sustainable prevention strategies that can be implemented in practice to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Voluntary participation and data protection
Participation in DP-Next is voluntary. You may withdraw from the study at any time without providing a reason and without any consequences for your current or future healthcare.
All information is treated confidentially and stored securely. Research results will only be published in anonymized form, and individual participants cannot be identified.
Contact and further information
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the project team.
You can also read more about the project on the DP-Next website.