DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR RURAL YOUTH: A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Background: Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) prevalence in rural youth (?19 years) has increased rapidly since the mid-1990’s. An abundance of research exists for urban youth while little focus has been placed on rural youth. Objectives: This scoping review will evaluate prevention program effectiveness in rural youth to determine successful program characteristics. Successful programs reduce T2D prevalence or related risk factors. Methods: A literature review examined multiple databases and found 6,490 results after removing duplicates. Two teams of two researchers screened abstracts based on inclusion criteria. Full text was pulled for the remaining 72 articles, 12 of which met inclusion criteria. Of the 12, four targeted youth. Results: Program implementation differed regarding duration, meeting frequency, intervention characteristics, and measured outcomes. Of the 4 studies, 2 were successful in reducing BMI while 3 reported positive changes in behavioral outcomes including diabetes knowledge and perceptions of peer and social relationships. Conclusion: Effective T2D prevention programs for rural youth must be modified to fit cultural and socioeconomic differences. School-based programs provide modest improvements but targeted prevention programs are necessary for those at-risk. Costs can be mitigated by seeking outside funding, charging a small fee, and having community health workers deliver the program.