Developing and Evaluating Behaviour Change Interventions for People with Younger-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Lessons and...

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Younger-onset type 2 diabetes (YOT2D) confers higher morbidity and mortality risks.
• Existing interventions and evaluations for YOT2D are limited, with few development guidelines.
• Behavioral intervention evaluations for YOT2D present unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize lessons learned and recommendations from published evaluations of YOT2D-focused health behavior change interventions.
• To illustrate challenges and solutions using case studies from the authors' experience.
• To provide guidance for future behavioral program developers targeting YOT2D.

Main Methods:

• Rapid literature review of 11 trials (5 RCTs, 6 pre/post) of behavioral interventions for YOT2D.
• Inclusion of needs assessment and development papers to describe program lifecycles.
• Identification of development and evaluation themes impacting trial execution.

Main Results:

• Two key development themes: adapting interventions to YOT2D characteristics and involving stakeholders.
• Two key evaluation themes: planning for meaningful evaluation and developing age-appropriate Core Outcome Sets.
• Identified challenges and proposed solutions based on case studies.

Conclusions:

• Future YOT2D interventions need careful adaptation, theoretical grounding, and stakeholder involvement.
• Robust evaluation planning and age-appropriate outcome sets are crucial for YOT2D programs.
• Focusing on behavior change and self-management support is essential for YOT2D outcomes.