107 Improved Family Support May Contribute to Positive Outcomes in a Latinx-Adapted Diabetes Prevention Program

Faculty Mentor: Katherine J.W. Baucom (Psychology, University of Utah)

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains a major public health concern in the United States, affecting approximately 11.6% of the population—including 14.7% of adults—with an additional 97.6 million adults estimated to have prediabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024). Hispanic/Latinx adults are disproportionately affected, with an age-adjusted diagnosed diabetes prevalence of 11.7%, compared to 6.9% among non-Hispanic White adults (CDC, 2024). They also experience higher rates of diabetes-related complications and mortality, often exacerbated by structural barriers such as limited access to culturally appropriate care, lower insurance coverage, and language challenges. These disparities highlight the urgent need for community-based, culturally adapted prevention programs to effectively engage and support Latinx populations at risk for T2D.

This study examined data from a small pilot trial of PrevenganT2, a family-based adaptation of the Spanish-language National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) developed for Latinx families in Utah. The 13-week adapted program was facilitated in Spanish by trained community health workers (CHWs) and emphasized healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, and family engagement. Sessions incorporated bilingual materials, culturally relevant recipes, and group discussions. Nine Latinx family dyads (N = 18; 9 individual adults at high risk for T2D and 9 adult family members) participated. Data collected included body weight at baseline (Week 0) and immediately after the 13-week program, and family support for healthy eating (encouragement and discouragement subscales; Sallis et al., 1987) was assessed pre- and post-program. The primary aim of this project was to describe changes in family support and weight over the course of the program. A secondary, exploratory aim examined Pearson correlations between percent weight change and family support.

Consistent with the rationale for a family-based approach to lifestyle intervention, family support increased from pre- to post-program. Specifically, 78% of participants reported increases in family member encouragement for healthy eating, and 67% reported decreases in family member discouragement. One-third of participants lost weight from baseline to post-program, although average weight slightly increased (M % weight change = +0.34%), with notable variability across participants (SD = 3.29).

Although preliminary, correlation analyses suggest that greater increases in family support (i.e., increased encouragement and decreased discouragement for healthy eating) may be related to weight loss. However, the small sample size limits generalizability and statistical power, and the 10-week period between Week 3 and Week 13 may not have been sufficient to produce meaningful weight change. Furthermore, perceived family support may not fully reflect actual behavior change.

Nonetheless, these findings align with the project’s hypothesis that family-based approaches enhance family support for healthy eating and other lifestyle changes, and that greater support may relate to superior outcomes.

After completing the project, we recorded a presentation of our findings for the Community Advisory Board in Spanish, ensuring that results were shared with the community that guided and supported the study.

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