In Finland, 2.5 million adults were documented at least overweight in 2017. One of the main risk factors in getting Type 2 Diabetes is overweight. According to several studies, the lifestyle change is a powerful way to prevent Type 2 Diabetes. The method of the so called motivational interviewing has been indicated to be effective from the perspective of health promotion, but many researches show that nurses have significant lack of skills in using the method in practice.

The aims of the thesis were to improve the knowledge of the public health nurses on the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes and how to motivate people with many risk factors of Type 2 Diabetes to lifestyle change. The thesis was enforced by providing education about using motivational interviewing in prevention of type 2 diabetes for the public health nurses who were working in the Health Promotion Unit in the Welfare District of Forssa. Education was carried out by lecturing using a slide show and videos. In addition, the request from the commissioner for a second time education proved the relevance of the subject.

The thesis included suggested lifestyle changes and issues that are effective in the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. The thesis also discussed the importance of the client encounter when the goal of the meeting is to motivate and encourage the clients to make healthier lifestyle changes. In the future, it is recommended to study how nurses use the method of motivational interviewing by analyzing audio tapes that are recorded from the same nurse´s appointment paying attention to the client’s point of view.