Using User-Feedback to Develop a Website: MyT1DHope, for Parents of Children with T1D
Bree E Holtz1, Katharine M Mitchell1, Amy K Nuttall2
1Department of Advertising & Public Relations, Michigan State University.
Insights
Developing a website resource for parents of children with type-1 diabetes (T1D) improved their diabetes knowledge and life satisfaction. This intervention shows promise for supporting families managing T1D challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Psychology
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Parenting a child with type-1 diabetes (T1D) presents significant stress and challenges to family well-being.
- Existing resources may not adequately address the complex needs of these caregivers.
- Interventions are needed to support parental coping and reduce the psychological burden of T1D management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and pilot a website as a preliminary intervention for parents caring for a child with T1D.
- To assess the impact of the website on parental diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, social support, and quality of life.
- To understand parental needs for digital resources in T1D care.
Main Methods:
- Formative evaluation (focus groups, interviews, surveys) of existing diabetes websites.
- Website development guided by established theory.
- An 8-week pilot study evaluating website use among parents of children with T1D.
Main Results:
- Parents using the website showed significant improvements in diabetes knowledge.
- Caregiver satisfaction with life significantly increased post-intervention.
- No significant changes were observed in social support, self-efficacy, or overall quality of life.
Conclusions:
- The developed website serves as a valuable preliminary intervention for parents of children with T1D.
- The resource effectively enhanced diabetes knowledge and life satisfaction among participating parents.
- Further research can build upon this foundation to create more comprehensive support interventions for T1D families.
Abstract:
Effectively caring for a child with type-1 diabetes (T1D) can be extremely demanding and stressful for the entire family. The difficulties of caring for a child with T1D impact the psychological and physical well-being of the parents. Interventions aimed at reducing stress and increasing coping may improve parental outcomes. This project sought to develop a resource to be used as a preliminary intervention step for these parents. This research was conducted in two parts. Part 1 includes three stages of formative evaluation, including a focus group, interviews, and a survey with parents to examine the current landscape of diabetes websites as a resource. Using data from Part 1, Part 2 of the study included the identification of a theory to guide the design of a website, the development of the website, and an 8-week pilot study of the website with parents with a child with T1D. Significant improvements were found in diabetes knowledge and caregivers' satisfaction of life. No changes were found in social support, self-efficacy, or quality of life. Overall, the data show that the parents were generally satisfied with the website. Through this work, researchers were able to develop a deeper understanding of the needs of parents caring for a child with T1D to develop the initial component of a larger intervention.
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