Review of Community-Engaged Research in Pediatric Diabetes

Community-engaged research (CER), which is characterized by collaborations between researchers and community partners, is a promising approach to bridge the gaps in translating research evidence into care settings and to address health disparities. This review describes CER in investigations focused on pediatric diabetes.

Studies were focused on African American, Hispanic, and Native American youth. Most studies aimed to develop and evaluate preventive interventions for type 2 diabetes. Across studies, the community partners and organizations that collaborated with researchers were diverse (e.g., youth, schools). In most studies, community partners participated in developing behavioral, psychosocial, or public health interventions, and/or participant recruitment. Fewer studies reported intensive involvement in other aspects of the research (e.g., grant writing, publication). The findings suggested that CER is a feasible approach for engaging community partners in the development of interventions and participant recruitment in studies focused on diabetes among minority youth.