Family Intervention for Black Teens With Type 1 Diabetes

The proposed study is a multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the efficacy of The 3Ms 2.0 compared to an educational attention control condition (EAC) for improving adolescent glycemic control and diabetes-related family relationships and reducing primary caregiver diabetes-related distress among Black adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their primary caregivers. A randomized, controlled, repeated measures design will be used. The study will use a sample of 216 Black adolescent-caregiver dyads. Participants will be recruited at two sites (University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center/ LeBonheur Children's Hospital and Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC). 108 families will be recruited at each of the two sites. Wayne State University (WSU) will function as the coordinating center for the trial and will be responsible for overseeing the adequacy of all aspects of trial management. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive The 3Ms 2.0 plus standard medical care or EAC plus standard medical care. In the 3Ms 2.0 condition, primary caregivers will receive a brief (10-20 minute) 3 session computer-delivered intervention via their mobile device. The intervention is designed to increase parental daily supervision of adolescent diabetes management. In the control condition, primary caregivers will also receive 3 brief computer-delivered sessions where the content is information and facts about type 1 diabetes. The intervention content will be available to the primary caregiver during a six month window and can be completed at their convenience. Data collection occurs in the families' home at baseline (T1), three months post-baseline (corresponding with the midpoint of the intervention window) (T2), six months post- baseline (corresponding with the end of the intervention window) (T3) and 12 months post-baseline (T4). Data completion can be completed via the Internet should families live outside a reasonable driving distance from the recruitment site. Data collection is completed by the adolescent and caregiver on a tablet computer and includes questionnaires to assess adolescent diabetes management, parental supervision of diabetes management, family relationships and youth quality of life. Blood will also be collected to measure HbA1c (mean blood glucose level). Medical record data will also be collected. The data analyses will be intent-to-treat, meaning that all randomized participants are included regardless of the intervention dose received. Trial data will analyzed using the linear mixed effect model (LME) for repeated measures.