This paper describes the planning and design of an intervention intended to translate clinical trial evidence on the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus into a community-wide population health intervention in a high-risk predominantly Māori community. Key steps comprised consulting with communities, validating community concerns and prioritising cultural and ethical issues. An important finding was that time spent developing good relationships amongst the health provider and academic research team members at the outset proved invaluable, as the team was united in addressing the project planning and implementation challenges, such as funding obstacles that arose because of the intervention’s ethically and culturally appropriate non-randomised control trial evaluation design. The authors conclude that while community-wide lifestyle interventions have the potential to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases in high-risk communities, such initiatives require a high level of commitment from the health sector and buy-in from the community. Finally, they stress that adequate commitment, leadership, planning and resources are essential.
