Using places of worship to recruit and retain couples for the 'Diabetes Together' intervention

There is a growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in South Africa and a high proportion of people have poor glycaemic control.

Having developed 'Diabetes Together', a couples-based intervention to support diabetes self-management, we explored places of worship as potential options for recruiting couples in the community.

Places of worship in low-income settings in Cape Town, South Africa.

Community entry involved approaching leadership of each place of worship to discuss the programme and our target of recruiting 15-20 eligible couples, where one partner was living with T2D. The research team and study were introduced to each congregation. Enrolment took place at the first of three intervention sessions. Attendance, participant feedback and facilitator observations were recorded. Recruitment and retention outcomes were summarised using descriptive statistics. Participant and facilitator feedback was deductively coded based on the evaluation questions and overarching themes identified.

The intervention was conducted in two churches and one mosque after engaging with leaders of six places of worship. A total of 37 people living with T2D were screened; 34 were eligible and had a self-reported T2D diagnosis, 32 partners were screened. Twenty-nine couples were eligible, and 24 couples enrolled. Retention was good across all three places, minimum 75% by session three. Participant and facilitator feedback revealed that participants gained new knowledge, reported having a positive attitude towards diabetes management and valued group interaction and open communication.

Recruitment of couples from places of worship in low-income settings in Cape Town was feasible under certain conditions. The intervention was acceptable and retention of couples for repeated sessions was high.Contribution: As there is limited evidence on using community settings like places of worship for diabetes management programmes, we present practical considerations for successful recruitment from these settings in South Africa.