Abstract: Youth Diabetes Prevention and Management Program for American Indian Youth: The Case for Engaging a Support Person (Society for Prevention Research 24th Annual Meeting)

Schedule:

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Garden Room A (Hyatt Regency San Francisco)

* noted as presenting author

Rachel Chambers, MPH, Research Associate, The Johns Hopkins University, United States, MD

Anne Kenney, MPH, Research Associate, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Nicole Neault, MPH, Research Associate, The Johns Hopkins University, Albuquerque, NM

Summer Rosenstock, PhD, Assistant Scientist, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Kendrea Begay, BA, Research Program Coordinator, The Johns Hopkins University, Chinle, AZ

Marissa Begay, BA, Research Program Assistant, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Allison Barlow, PhD, Assistant Scientist, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Introduction: Parents and/or trusted adults can play an important role in youth’s ability to manage and prevent type 2 diabetes. Yet, many parents have their own health problems and risks, making it difficult for them to provide adequate positive support and model healthy behaviors. Programs that target youth and involve parents may be advantageous as they have potential to impact parents’ own risk profiles and, in turn, enhance impact on youth outcomes. In this paper, we first examine the feasibility of enrolling a parent and/or trusted adult (support person) in Together on Diabetes, a family-based diabetes prevention and management program for American Indian youth. We then highlight the impact of engaged parents on the youth’s risk profile.

Methods: The Together on Diabetes trial was conducted with 255 youth and 223 parents and/or trusted adults (support persons). Support persons attended up to 12 youth and 4 support-person home-based lessons taught by a Native Family Health Coach. Support-person lessons focused on strategies for caring for their youth and creating skills to build a healthy home environment. Youth outcomes including psychosocial, behavioral and physiological measures and support person outcomes including family diabetes screening behaviors and responsibility for youth’s diabetes care were assessed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. BMI and blood pressure was collected in a subset of support persons at all four time points.

Results: The majority (81.6%) of support person participants were female; 78.9% were a parent of the youth. Support persons attended 30.8% of youth lessons and completed an average of 2 support person lessons. At baseline, support persons reported taking responsibility the majority of the time (≥69%) for the youth’s medical care. Preliminary 12 month outcome data will be reported, including changes in family screening behaviors, responsibility for youth’s diabetes care and support person BMI and blood pressure. Relationship between support person involvement (lesson dosage) and youth outcomes will also be reported.

Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes is rising among people of all ages and ethnicities with American Indians disproportionally impacted by the disease. As rates across families rise, innovative interventions and research strategies are needed. Our results indicate it is feasible to engage parents/trusted adults in family-based diabetes prevention programs delivered in the home by Native paraprofessionals. We will present complete 12 month outcome data of the TOD support person program cohort and discuss implications of these findings.

Abstract: Youth Diabetes Prevention and Management Program for American Indian Youth: The Case for Engaging a Support Person (Society for Prevention Research 24th Annual Meeting)

438 Youth Diabetes Prevention and Management Program for American Indian Youth: The Case for Engaging a Support Person