Symposia
Couples / Close Relationships
Madelyn Whitaker, B.S., M.A.
Graduate Student
Department of Psychology, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Monique C. Aguirre, B.S., BSW
Research Associate & Lab Manager
Department of Psychology, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Carmen Ramos, B.S., MS
Clinical Dietician
Office of Wellness and Integrative Health, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Natalie Klein, B.S., MS
Lifestyle Coach and Master Trainer Select
Utah Department of Health
Salt Lake City, Utah
Yeny Arones, B.S.
Community Health Worker
Hispanic Health Care Task Force
Salt Lake City, Utah
Jeannette Villalta, CHW
Community health Worker
Alliance Community Services
Murray, Utah
Jeanne Munezero Uwizeye
N/A
Best of Africa
Salt Lake City, Utah
Cathy Wolfsfeld, B.S.
Community Health Worker
Calvary Baptist Church
Salt Lake City, Utah
Marc Wolfsfeld, PhD
N/A
Calvary Baptist Church
Salt Lake City, Utah
Ed Napia, B.S., MS
Project Coordinator
Office of American Indian and Alaska Native Health Affairs, Utah Department of Health
Salt Lake City, Utah
O. Fahina Tavake-Pasi, MS
Executive Director
National Tongan American Society
Murray, Utah
Kristie L. Hinton, MS
Registered Dietician
Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tamara Sher, Ph.D.
Primary Investigator
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
North Chicago, Illinois
Debra L. Simmons, MD, MS, FACE, FACP
Professor
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah and Salt Lake City VA
Salt Lake City, Utah
Timothy W. Smith, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Department of Psychology, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Lauren Clark, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Professor
School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Katherine J.W. Baucom, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition affecting nearly 37 million Americans, can be prevented or delayed with lifestyle intervention. Substantial health disparities exist with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes being lower among non-Hispanic white adults compared with other racial/ethnic groups. In 2012, the CDC implemented the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) to help individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes make lifestyle changes related to nutrition and physical activity. However, members of underrepresented groups are less likely to enroll and participate in the NDPP, despite diabetes disparities. Close relationships have a substantial impact on health and related behaviors with documented associations between poor relationship quality and increased diabetes risk. Yet, participants’ significant others are not systematically incorporated into existing diabetes prevention interventions even though their involvement may improve engagement and reduce health disparities. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, we adapted the NDPP curriculum for use with couples who want to go through the lifestyle change program together. CBPR seeks to engage key stakeholders in the research process, including the design and adaptation of intervention materials. Consistent with CBPR, we created a community advisory board (CAB) comprised of members from diverse communities in Utah (Best of Africa, Calvary Baptist Church, Hispanic Healthcare Task Force, Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake, National Tongan American Society/Utah). The CAB members thoroughly reviewed all parts of the NDPP and provided guidance on adapting the NDPP curriculum to be culturally-relevant and couple focused. Adaptations were focused on “surface structure” changes to create a couple-based program that would be broadly applicable across cultures/communities. We will discuss the changes made in the couple-based adaptation, as well as our planned pilot to test the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention with couples in which at least one partner is at risk for type 2 diabetes. We will also discuss limitations to our approach. Most notably, the CAB was formed after funding was obtained for the project. Although preliminary data were collected from a one-time meeting with community members in the grant proposal development stage, and the grant provided compensation for the CAB members, there were aspects of the project that would have benefited from CAB feedback earlier in the research process.