FHI 360 is sponsoring family dyad–specific 12-month lifestyle change programs in diverse areas of Maryland, using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s PreventT2 curriculum with adapted outreach and support materials. This exploratory study evaluates recruitment, retention and related family dynamics, along with the acceptability of the developed messaging, outreach materials and tailored curriculum delivery.
Family support for preventing type 2 diabetes is essential, yet mechanisms for ensuring this support have not been evaluated. Adopting — and maintaining — health-promoting behaviors that can prevent chronic disease may be limited by a lack of family and social support as well as by social determinants of health challenges (such as lack of money for healthful food, transportation issues and social isolation). For those of lower socioeconomic status, where the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is higher due to limited supporting resources, the need to strengthen family or supportive involvement seems even more important.
FHI 360’s approach focuses on the enrollment of family dyads in the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program (LCP) and explores whether tailoring outreach and delivery either to two family members or to a dyad of mutually supportive participants will increase enrollment and retention. “Family” can be spouses/partners, parents and adult children, or any combination of friend/family members with close contact/shared decision-making on food and physical activity choices.
FHI 360 aims to address the following primary research questions:
- Which outreach/recruitment strategies and messages encourage family dyads to enroll in the National DPP LCP?
- How do minor modifications to the existing modules in the PreventT2 curriculum affect engagement and retention of family dyads in the National DPP LCP?
This study is being conducted by FHI 360 at six existing National DPP sites across Maryland, in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Horowitz Center for Health Literacy.
