Milagros C. Rosal|Robin Heyden|Roanne Mejilla|Roberta Capelson|Karen A. Chalmers|Maria Rizzo DePaoli|Chetty Veerappa|John Wiecha
A Virtual World Versus Face-to-Face Intervention Format to Promote Diabetes Self-Management Among African American Women: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School|Boston Medical Center|Boston University|Boston Medical Center|Boston University|Boston Medical Center|Boston University|Boston Medical Center|Boston University|Boston Medical Center|Boston University|Boston Medical Center|Boston University
background virtual world environments potential increase access diabetes selfmanagement interventions may lower cost objective tested feasibility comparative effectiveness virtual world versus facetoface diabetes selfmanagement group intervention methods recruited african american women type 2 diabetes participate 8week diabetes selfmanagement program adapted power prevent behaviorchange inperson group program african americans diabetes prediabetes program social cognitive theoryguided evidencebased culturally tailored participants randomized participate program via virtual world second life facetoface delivered single intervention team blinded assessors conducted inperson clinical hba1c behavioral psychosocial measurements baseline 4month followup prepost differences within intervention groups assessed using tests chisquare tests twosided intentiontotreat analyses comparisons results participants n89 average 52 years old sd 10 60 high school 82 household incomes p90 compared facetoface virtual world slightly superior total activity light activity inactivity p05 p07 p025 respectively hba1c reduction significant within facetoface 046 p02 within virtual world 031 p19 although significant group differences hba1c p52 groups 14 fewer patients postintervention hba1c 9 virtual world p014 facetoface p002 significant group difference p493 compared virtual world facetoface marginally superior reducing depression symptoms p051 virtual world intervention costs us 1117 versus us 931 facetoface conclusions feasible deliver diabetes selfmanagement interventions inner city african american women via virtual worlds outcomes may comparable facetoface interventions effectiveness research warranted clinical trial clinicaltrialsgov nct01340079 httpclinicaltrialsgovshownct01340079 archived webcite httpwwwwebcitationorg6t2asvmka