The Mountain of Health: The Perceptions and Perceived Expectations of Youth Living With Type 2 Diabetes in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Through a Grounded Theory Study

Developing and Evaluating Behaviour Change Interventions for People with Younger-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Lessons and Recommendations from Existing Programmes

People with younger-onset type 2 diabetes (YOT2D, diagnosis before 40 years of age) are at higher risk of morbidity and premature mortality compared with their similar-age type 1 diabetes and later-onset type 2 diabetes peers. Despite recommendations for targeted, behavioural, and psychosocial approaches to optimising health outcomes, there are few such interventions for this group. Furthermore, evaluations of health behaviour change interventions targeting this priority population have proven challenging to complete. Despite this, there is little guidance for future behavioural programme developers. The aims of this paper are to synthesise lessons learned and recommendations from published evaluations of YOT2D-focused health behaviour change interventions, and illustrate challenges and solutions using case studies from our own experience. A rapid review of the literature identified 11 trials of behavioural interventions for YOT2D (5 randomised controlled trials, 6 pre/post studies). We sourced related needs assessment and development papers to describe the life course of each programme. We identified two development and two evaluation-related themes impacting successful trial execution. Development recommendations include ensuring appropriate adaptation of existing interventions to the unique challenges and characteristics of the target group, use of theory or theoretical frameworks throughout, and involvement of the priority population and key stakeholders from inception. Evaluation recommendations include planning for meaningful evaluation and development of age-appropriate Core Outcomes Sets. Future programme developers would benefit from closer attention to intervention development guidelines and a focus on supporting those with YOT2D to achieve behaviour change and diabetes self-management goals, ahead of change to biomedical outcomes.

Putting the Patient First: A Scoping Review of Patient Desires in Canada

Patient-centred care is a key priority for governments, providers and stakeholders, yet little is known about the care preferences of patient groups. We completed a scoping review that yielded 193 articles for analysis. Five health states were used to account for the diversity of possible preferences based on health needs. Five broad themes were identified and expressed differently across the health states, including personalized care, navigation, choice, holistic care and care continuity. Patients' perspectives must be considered to meet the diverse needs of targeted patient groups, which can inform health system planning, quality improvement initiatives and targeting of investments.

Youth perceptions and experiences of type 2 diabetes: Protocol for a collaborative knowledge translation approach and qualitative study

AIMS

The aim of this study is to generate an in-depth understanding of youth perceptions and experiences of living with type 2 diabetes to inform knowledge translation, research and intervention development.

DESIGN

Interpretive descriptive qualitative study.

METHODS

Twenty to 25 youth aged 10-18 years with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes will be purposively recruited through the Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and through the Improving Renal Complications in Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes Through the REsearch [iCARE] cohort. Socio-demographic information will be collected. Semi-structured interviews will occur iteratively with inductive thematic analysis. Data will be professionally transcribed and managed using NVivo 1.0 software. The University Ethics Committee approved this study (May 2020).

DISCUSSION

There is a critical gap in understanding youth experiences of type 2 diabetes. Research involving youth with type 2 diabetes is predominantly quantitative in nature, largely reflecting risk factors, underlying mechanisms and treatment outcomes associated with diabetes management. In-depth qualitative research on youth experiences can help identify youth priorities, provide insight into critical misalignments between stakeholder perspectives, and drive forward a more consolidated youth-centred research agenda.

IMPACT

Understanding and applying knowledge of youth experiences is critical as the prevalence of, and challenges associated with, youth onset type 2 diabetes continues to increase worldwide. This research will generate a robust interpretive description of youth lived experiences and perceptions of type 2 diabetes where such research is lacking, to inform basic and applied research within an interdisciplinary investigative and clinical research team with relevance to other jurisdictions. In response to calls for youth-oriented research in type 2 diabetes, this work will catalyse collaborative knowledge translation using creative and youth-directed initiatives.