 A pre-randomized study in primary health care was designed to investigate health education in a subpopulation extracted from general practitioners GPs in one Danish county in the treatment arm of the ADDITION Anglo-Danish-Dutch Study of Intensive Treatment in People with Screen-Detected Diabetes in Primary Care study, DK. The overall objective of the Ready to Act health education programme was to support the participants competences in daily life and act appropriately with respect to their dysglycaemic condition. The achievement of action competence involved four learning objectives: intrinsic motivation, informed decision-making, action experience and social involvement. The programme was delivered in primary care settings health centre or GP surgeries by nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists and GPs. 