Research

Evaluation of a Complex Behavioral Intervention for Young Adults with Diabetes: The Resilient, Empowered, Active Living-Telehealth (REAL-T) Study

Young adulthood is a challenging life stage for many with T1D; only 17% of 18-25 year olds and 30% of 26-30 year olds attain recommended HbA1c targets, and only 2% consistently perform diabetes self-care in accordance with national guidelines. To address these issues, our research team developed the REAL (Resilient, Empowered, Active Living) diabetes intervention, an individually tailored occupational therapy intervention focused on incorporating diabetes self-care into participants’ daily habits and routines, and evaluated its efficacy in a randomized controlled trial (n=81).

This study is investigating the efficacy of REAL as delivered via telehealth (REAL-T), an efficient and broadly disseminable care delivery model. The results of this study will inform clinical practice through providing evidence regarding the potential of REAL-T to improve health and quality of life among young adults with T1D both immediately following the intervention and over the long term. Furthermore, it will investigate the mediating mechanisms of REAL-T to better understand how the intervention attains its observed effects.