Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Culturally Tailored for African Americans: COVID-19-Related Factors Influencing Restart of the TX STRIDE Study.
Mary A Steinhardt, Sharon A Brown, H Matthew Lehrer and 6 others
PMID 34318725WHAT IT FOUND
African American adults with diabetes told researchers they wanted TX STRIDE restarted remotely, mainly by Zoom or phone.
They described pandemic barriers to food, activity, medications, glucose testing, and stress. Family or church help and mailed materials supported remote restart.
Key findings
01Participants preferred restarting TX STRIDE remotely, with Zoom and telephone options.
02Pandemic barriers to diabetes self-care included grocery shopping concerns, more snacking, less walking, medication supply worries, higher glucose readings, and stress.
03Spiritual coping and support from family, friends, neighbors, and church were described as important resources.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study reports participants' experiences and suggestions, not measured diabetes outcomes, so it cannot show that remote restart improves self-management or health. Only 47 of 59 Cohort 1 participants took part in interviews, and participants may have been more motivated to resume the program. Findings are from one culturally tailored African American diabetes program during the pandemic, so they may not apply to other settings or populations. The paper describes qualitative themes and has no randomization, control group, or effect estimate.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health, including NIDDK, and an author received NIH training grant support for manuscript preparation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the preference for remote classes as proof that Zoom-based diabetes education works better. This paper reports what participants said and experienced during the pandemic, not outcomes, and it has no control group or measured effect.