"Something Tells Me I Can't Do That No More": Experiences With Real-Time Glucose and Activity Monitoring Among Underserved Black Women With Type 2 Diabetes.
Cynthia Fritschi, Min Jung Kim, Manassawee Srimoragot and 3 others
PMID 35118920WHAT IT FOUND
Eight underserved Black women with diabetes described group education plus real-time glucose and step monitoring as helping them see how food and activity affected their readings, set goals, and make short-term changes.
Key findings
01Eight women completed the six-week intervention and were interviewed.
02All women reported that the intervention was acceptable and did not add to their daily burden.
03Participants described using glucose and step data to learn how eating and activity affected them, compare values with goals, and make short-term behavior changes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only eight women completed the intervention and were interviewed, so the themes are not a pattern across larger groups. The study was a small acceptability trial with interviews, not a controlled comparison, so it does not show that the intervention caused change. Women received diabetes education, a Fitbit, and a continuous glucose monitor together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The study excluded insulin users and women with A1C 10% or higher, so it says little about those groups. Participants were underserved Black women aged 40 years or older in Chicago, so findings may not apply to other populations. Behavior changes were self-reported and short-term, and the study did not measure long-term maintenance or glucose control. The sample was smaller than intended because of COVID, limiting the findings. Only half of the participants had smartphone access for Fitbit data, which may affect how patients use device data.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The supplied publication types include NIH extramural research support, but the text does not describe the funder's role.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the women's reported changes as proof that Fitbit or continuous glucose monitoring improves diabetes control. The supplied text does not report a control group or random allocation, interviewed only eight women, and did not measure long-term glucose control or behavior maintenance. The women also received diabetes education, so any single component cannot be separated.