Development of a Diabetes Education Program for Youth With Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to present the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TOD2AY) study and a description of the implementation of the standard diabetes education (SDE) program. METHODS: A total of 218 participants (one third of the eventual sample of 750) were initially enrolled in the study. To date, the mean age of participants was 14.3 + 2.1 years, with 63% being female. Families of study participants were largely low or middle income (more than half report family income <$35 000) and about three-quarters were minority. RESULTS: More than three-quarters (79%) of families achieved full mastery of the entire SDE program. Mastery required on average 5.5 + 1.3 sessions. In addition, 62% of the families were able to achieve mastery of the session topic in a single visit. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the TOD2AY study SDE program fills the need for effective, engaging materials for youth and their families to use in mastering essential type 2 diabetes skills and knowledge.