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NCT Number: NCT04797429

Improving Glycaemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Through Peer Support Instant Messaging

Diabetes mellitus is one of the four priority non-communicable diseases worldwide. Globally, 425 million adults suffered from diabetes mellitus (7.2-11.3%) in 2017 and the International Diabetes Federation estimates an increase of 48% of the prevalence until 2045. Type 2 diabetes, which is the most common type of diabetes, is mainly seen in adults older than 40 years. Diabetes can lead to serious long-term complications as well as a lower quality of life, worse mental health, and a reduced life expectancy. Due to the chronical character of diabetes, the disease requires continuous therapy, regular medical appointments, and good adherence of those suffering. Therefore, diabetes self-management education (DSME) plays a significant role to increase patient's self-management capacity and improve diabetes therapy. Research indicates that these outcomes might be difficult to maintain and seem to decline soon after DSME ends. Consequently, effective strategies to preserve the positive effects of DSME are needed. Preliminary results show that peer support, which means support from a person who has experiential knowledge of a specific behaviour or stressor and similar characteristics as the target population, is associated with better outcomes in terms of HbA1c, cardiovascular disease risk factors or self-efficacy at lower cost compared to standard therapy. Although those results are promising, research on peer support in diabetes care is still in its infancy and the influence of various factors is unclear. Peer support instant messaging services (IMS) approaches have significant potential for diabetes management because support can be provided easily and prompt, is inexpensive, and needs less effort to attend compared to standard therapy. Furthermore, almost half of the 40-69-year-old age group, which is mostly affected by the onset of type 2 diabetes, use IMS. The major objective of the project is to analyse the impact of a peer supported IMS intervention in addition to a standard diabetes therapy on the glycaemic control of type 2 diabetic patients. A total of 205 participants (196 participants and 9 moderators) with type 2 diabetes mellitus, older than 40 years will be included and randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Both groups will receive standard therapy, but the intervention group will use the peer support IMS tool, additionally. The duration of the intervention will last for seven months, followed by a follow-up of seven months. Biochemical, behavioural, and psychosocial parameters will be measured before, in the middle, and after the intervention as well as after the follow-up.

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Key information

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Endocrine System Diseases Glucose Metabolism Disorders Instant Messaging Service Metabolic Diseases Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Peer Support

Age range

40 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Sankt Pölten University of Applied Sciences

Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria, 3100, Austria

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

participants exclusive moderators:

  • diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus according to the Austrian definition
  • HbA1c of ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) at the last measurement
  • receive the antidiabetic therapy according to the current guidelines
  • older than 40 years
  • living in Lower Austria
  • get oral hyperglycaemic agents for maximum three years
  • understand the individual commitments during trial
  • must be able to visit training and measurements

Inclusion criteria

moderators:

  • diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus according to the Austrian definition
  • HbA1c of ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) at the last measurement
  • receive the antidiabetic therapy according to the current guidelines
  • get oral hyperglycaemic agents for three years minimum
  • older than 60 years
  • living in the vicinity of the training location in St. Pölten, which means residing in St. Pölten, St. Pölten Land, Melk, Krems, or Lilienfeld
  • engaged participating (= regular participation) in the Austrian disease management program 'Therapie aktiv - Diabetes im Griff'
  • understand the individual commitments during trial
  • must be able to visit training and measurements
  • commitment to undergo the moderator training

Exclusion criteria

for all participants:

  • hospitalization of more than 3 weeks during the intervention
  • eye disorders that severely limit vision and, hence, inability to read the display (e.g., proliferative retinopathy or macular edema)
  • severe illnesses such as kidney, liver, heart disease, or malignant cancer, neurological of mental illness which make a longer hospitalization likely
  • substance abuse
  • pregnancy
  • limitation in the German language
  • unable to visit training and measurements

Treatment and study plan

Peer Support Intervention via Instant Messaging Service Tool (IMS-Tool)

Other

Peer Support via the IMS-tool increases diabetes self-management, improves self-efficiacy, adherence and glycaemic control

antidiabetic therapy according to the current guidelines

Other

In contrast, the control group has to manage their diabetes mellitus type 2 with standard support and without online exchange.

Primary outcomes

  1. HbA1c [%] (change over a period of 7 months intervention and 7 months follow-up with 4 measurement dates)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    HbA1c = glycated haemoglobin reflects average plasma glucose over the previous 8-12 weeks. It can be tested at any time of the day and does not require special preparation like fasting

Secondary outcomes

  1. Quality of life measured by Short-Form-Health Survey (SF-12) (change over a period of 7 months intervention and 7 months follow-up with 4 measurement dates)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    Quality of life will be measured using the 'Short-Form-Health Survey' (SF-12): the SF-12 includes eight dimensions ('physical functioning', 'role limitations due to physical problems', 'bodily pain', 'vitality', 'general health perceptions' , 'social functioning', 'role limitations due to emotional problems', 'mental health'). The summary scores 'physical component summary' and 'mental component summary' (0-100 scales) can be calculated from the specified scales.

  2. Medication adherence measured by A-14 (change over a period of 7 months intervention and 7 months follow-up with 4 measurement dates)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    Medication adherence will be measured using the 'A14-scale': the A14 consists of 14 items of non-adherent behaviors phrased in a non-threatening and non-judgemental way using a five-item Likert scale with the endpoints '4' (never) to '0' (very often).

  3. Diabetes self-management behaviors measured by 'Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities German' (SDSCA-G) (change over a period of 7 months intervention and 7 months follow-up with 4 measurement dates)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    Diabetes self-management behaviors will be measured using the 'Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities German' (SDSCA-G): the SDSCA-G focuses on the past seven days related to the diabetes self-care activities 'nutrition', 'physical activities', 'blood glucose testing', 'foot care', and 'smoking'.

  4. Diabetes knowledge will be measured using the 'Diabetes Knowledge Test' (DKT)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    DKT consists of 20 statements about diabetes which have to be rated as 'true', 'false' or 'don't know'. Based on the answers, a difficulty index (percent of patients who scored correctly) is calculated.

  5. Diabetes distress will be measure using the 'Diabetes Distress Scale' (DDS)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    the DDS includes for dimensions of distress ('emotional burden', 'regimen distress', 'interpersonal distress', 'physician distress'). The DDS consists of 17 items using a six-point Likert scale with the endpoints '1' (not a problem) and '5' (a very serious problem).

  6. Depression will be measured using the 'Patient Health Questionnaire-9' (PHQ-9)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    PHQ-9 asks for all nine criteria of depression as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) using a four-point Likert scale with the endpoints '0' (not at all) and '3' (nearly every day).

  7. Social support will be measured using the 'Fragebogen zur Sozialen Unterstützung' (F-SozU)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    F-SozU operationalizes social support as perceived or anticipated support from the social environment. The short form consists of the following subscales: 'emotional support', 'practical support', 'social integration', 'stress from the social network'. The F-SozU involves of 14 items using a five-point Likert scale with the endpoints '1' (does not apply) and '5' (accurate).

  8. Dietary behaviour will be measured using a Food Frequency Questionnaire

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    Asses the dietary behaviour during the last month

  9. Physical activity will be measured using the 'International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form' (IPAQ-SF)

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    IPAQ-SF asks seven questions to assess 'vigorous-intensity' and 'moderate-intensity' physical activity as well as 'walking' and 'sitting'. Participants indicate the time in minutes or hours for each activity level. Based on this information, three levels of physical activity (low, moderate, high) are calculated and expressed in metabolic equivalent of task (MET) minutes per week.

  10. Biochemical parameters

    Time frame: at baseline, three months after the start of the intervention, at the end of the intervention = seven months after the start of the intervention, follow-up = 14 months after the start of the intervention

    fasting blood glucose [mg/dl], total cholesterol [mg/dl], high-density lipoprotein [mg/dl], low-density lipoprotein [mg/dl], blood pressurge [mmHg], body height [cm], body weight [cm], body fat [%]

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences

Other

Collaborators

  • Austrian Health Insurance Fund
  • Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

Registry information

Official study title

Improving Glycaemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Through Peer Support Instant Messaging: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: DiabPeerS

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2025
First posted
Mar 15, 2021
Registry last updated
May 21, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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