Health Promotion in Transition: Effects of Web-Based Health Information on Disease Management and Risk Behavior for Youth With Type 1 Diabetes in College

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical periods during which health outcomes may be imperiled for youth with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Due to the strong presence of alcohol use in the college environment, college students with T1D may be especially vulnerable to these risks.

Our goal is to develop preliminary evidence in support of a scalable intervention targeting diabetes health management and alcohol use avoidance for college youth with T1D. For this project the investigators will engage at least 120 youth with T1D in college. The study sample will be drawn from two national, non-profit, peer support based groups: the College Diabetes Network (CDN) and the TuDiabetes Network.

The study aims to 1) develop and pilot and educational video intervention; 2) determine the acceptability and efficiency of various web platforms for engaging college students in completing a survey about their health and alcohol use and to; 3) compare effectiveness of delivery of a brief intervention delivered by a peer versus a provider. The investigators plan to engage 120 college youth with T1D in completing a survey about their health knowledge and alcohol use behaviors.

Baseline survey items will ask participants about knowledge, attitudes, and practices/plans for diabetes self-management and alcohol use in college. In response to survey items, participants will provide information on topics including general and disease-specific health information, as well as attitudes, behavior, beliefs, and knowledge related to alcohol use. Participants will also respond to questions relating to social support, mental health, and perseverance and commitment to long term goals.

Following the baseline survey, participants will be presented with a brief educational video about diabetes self-management and alcohol use risks. Participants will be randomized to receive one of two educational video interventions. One version will be framed and delivered from a peer-based source and the other from a provider, content will otherwise be identical. Participants will receive 2 follow-up surveys; one immediately following viewing the video and the second two weeks later. Both the immediate follow-up and the 2-week follow-up survey will test salience, recall, and effects on health knowledge, beliefs and behavioral intentions.

While the main purpose of the pilot is to ascertain preferences in the absence of preliminary data, our a priori hypothesis is that peer delivery will have greater impact for this population.