Project Dulce for Arab Americans With Type 2 Diabetes

Conditions studied

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

About this study

Arab Americans (AA) face many challenges in diabetes self-management due to the limited educational resources and support available for them. The cultural and linguistic barriers between patients and health care providers lead to poor diabetes management and outcomes. This study (Project Dulce Arabic) is adapted from the Project Dulce, an American Diabetes Association (ADA)-recognized Diabetes Self-Management Education Support (DSMES) program. Project Dulce Arabic comprises both peer-led diabetes education in Arabic and a 3-month text messaging program (Dulce Digital). The main aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of a more culturally and linguistically appropriate diabetes education program in improving diabetes knowledge, beliefs, and self-management as well as hemoglobin A1C.

Interventions

• Behavioral: Project Dulce + Dulce Digital — Project Dulce is a 5-week curriculum, group diabetes self-management education and support, program delivered by a peer educator in Arabic. The curriculum provides knowledge as well as skills and tools needed to change behaviors and adapt to a life with type 2 diabetes. The curriculum covers diabetes and its complication, the role of diet, exercise, and medication, and the importance of self-monitoring as well as the genetics contribution to diabetes development. It is presented over 5 weeks where participants will learn and practice diabetes self-management skills, and help one another address family, cultural, or health system barriers to managing their diabetes. . Following the 5-week curriculum, participants will be enrolled in the digital texting platform, Dulce Digital, in which they will receive on-going support via text messages derived from the curriculum, medication reminders, and blood glucose monitoring prompts in Arabic.

Primary outcomes

• Change from Baseline Diabetes Knowledge at 3 months (3 months)
• Change from Baseline Diabetes Knowledge at 6 months (6 months)
• Change from Baseline Health Belief Model Scale at 3 months (3 months)
• Change from Baseline Health Belief Model Scale at 6 months (6 months)
• Change in Baseline Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Scale at 3 months (3 months)
• Change in Baseline Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Scale at 6 months (6 months)
• Understanding Health Implications of Genomics at 3 months (3 months)
• Understanding Health Implications of Genomics at 6 months (6 months)

Eligibility information

Study locations

• San Ysidro Health, El Cajon, California 92020 United States
• Metro Caring, Denver, Colorado 80218 United States