Helping young people with Type 1 diabetes build resilience and manage their care
Strengths-Based Multi-Level Behavioral Intervention to Promote Resilience and Self-Management in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes
This program uses mobile apps, brief family goal meetings, and positive clinic support to help early adolescents with Type 1 diabetes manage blood sugar and feel better about daily care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11239042 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your child will use smartphone apps: parents get prompts to notice and praise positive diabetes behaviors, and youth get tools for positive interactions plus videos from older teens with Type 1 diabetes. Families will hold a weekly five-minute meeting to set and celebrate a diabetes self-management goal, and clinicians will highlight what youth are doing well during routine clinic visits. The six-month program randomly assigns 250 diverse families to the new approach or enhanced usual care. Study staff will track blood sugar control (HbA1c and time-in-range), engagement in self-care tasks, and health-related quality of life.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes (and their parents) living in the Houston or Washington, D.C. areas who can use smartphone apps are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without Type 1 diabetes, families who cannot use smartphones or attend local clinic visits, or those living outside the study cities are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If it works, it could help young people keep blood sugar in range, strengthen daily diabetes habits, and improve quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: Previous family- and technology-based programs for pediatric Type 1 diabetes have shown promising improvements in self-care and glycemic outcomes, while this specific multi-level, strengths-based combination is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hilliard, Marisa Ellen — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Hilliard, Marisa Ellen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.