The Diet Guidelines: 3 Diets (DG3D) study is comparing three different diets, as defined by the US Dietary Guidelines and how they impact type 2 diabetes risk factors among African American adult (such as body weight, blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1c). The intervention will last for 1 year and participants will be randomly assigned to follow a Healthy US diet, Vegetarian diet, or Mediterranean diet and receive cooking classes, recipes, and guidance for following their assigned diet based on culturally-tailored curriculum.

Free cooking classes, recipes, a support system, and lab results at the end of the study.  If you complete the study, you’ll receive $100.00.

You may lose weight and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by being a part of this study. You will receive cooking classes and learn how to prepare healthy meals.

You must:

• Be between the ages of 18 – 65 years
• Self-identify as African American
• Have a body mass index (BMI) between 25–49.9 kg/m² (be overweight or obese)
• Be available to attend all study meetings over a 1 year period.
• Be willing to be randomized to either of the 3 diet groups (this means you won’t have a choice in which diet you are assigned to)

Yes. You must self-identify as an African American in order to qualify and participate. 

You can calculate your BMI online with this online calculator: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

Only one person per household can participate in the study as a research participant, but you are free to share all your class materials with friends and family.

This study will last for 1 year and will therefore require a short-term commitment. You will be required to regularly come to the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health for classes, lab visits, and to complete a variety of surveys. You will be required to attend classes once a week for 6 months and then every other week for the remaining 6 months. The classes are structured to be about an hour and fifteen minutes in the evening at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health.

You will attend group classes to learn more about your diet and receive the support you need to adopt healthier eating habits. The classes will include cooking skills, recipe ideas, and guidance for following your assigned diet.

You will have lab visits that involve height and weight measurements, blood pressure, and a non-fasting blood draw via finger stick. The lab visits will be at the following time points: baseline and 6 months and 1 year.

You will also be completing several questionnaires at each time point: baseline, 6 months and 1 year. You will complete the questionnaires at your classes or at your house and be required to complete online dietary recalls at home. The questionnaires will assess demographic information, psychosocial variables (such as stress), and dietary acceptance. The dietary recalls are online surveys that ask you to recall all the meals and beverages you had in the previous 24-hours. You will be directed to an online database that allows you to enter in the foods and drinks you had for the day.

No. Because this study is using random assignment, participants will be randomly assigned to each diet group. You must be willing to be assigned to either of the 3 diets.

Classes will be held at the Discovery I Building at the Arnold School of Public Health on the first floor. The address is 915 Greene Street, Columbia SC 29201. It is right across the street from the Colonial Life Arena.

Due to COVID-19 and social distancing protocol, we will limit class attendance to only participants.

Please let one of our study coordinators know that you will miss a class and you will be provided with instructions to complete a make-up class. 

You will have your blood drawn (non-fasting) via a finger stick by a phlebotomist at USC’s Prevention Research Center. You will have your body weight, height, blood pressure, waist circumference, and hip circumference measured.

Thank you for your interest in the DG3D Study. We have reached capacity for our 2022 study cohort. Please CLICK HERE to be added to our waitlist for our 2023 study cohort. We are excited to have you involved very soon and will be contacting you in January 2023 to confirm your interest in our next cohort.