Promoting Intergenerational Health in Rural Kentuckians With Diabetes (PIHRK’D): Protocol for a Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is steadily increasing and has exceeded 20% in some rural Kentucky counties. In Kentucky, chronic diet-sensitive conditions and unhealthy behaviors are among the highest in the nation, with approximately 36.5% of adults with obesity and 13.3% diagnosed with T2DM, while only 15.3% meet physical activity recommendations, and 4.7% meet fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations. Family-based interventions can be used to promote health in rural communities that often comprise intergenerational households. Objective: The purpose of the study is to determine whether leveraging family units as sources of social support promotes nutritional and physical activity changes among those who are overweight or have obesity and are diagnosed with T2DM. Methods: This study consists of 3 phases (baseline, intervention, and postintervention). An overview of the study will be provided to interested participants, after which their consent will be sought. At baseline, demographic data, social support, physical activity, diabetes knowledge, diabetes self-management, dietary recall, obstructive sleep apnea, and sleep health, as well as social network data, will be collected using validated questionnaires. Anthropometric (weight, height, lean mass, and body fat) and T2DM-related (blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c], total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoproteins, and triglycerides) clinical measures will also be obtained. During the intervention phase, participants will complete 6 months of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) alongside 1 member of their social network (eg, household member). In addition, participants will have the option to attend Dining with Diabetes program sessions that are offered at the county level through Cooperative Extension Service (Extension) agents. Follow-up data collection will include clinical measures, a dietary recall, and the assessment of participants’stage of behavior change at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postintervention. Results: This study was funded in November 2022 by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Data collection started on September 1, 2023, and is projected to end in November 2025. We have enrolled a total of 48 participants in the study. Conclusions: T2DM is a growing problem, particularly among vulnerable populations in rural Kentucky. This study plans to leverage family units as sources of social support with MNT and nutrition education through the Dining with Diabetes program. If effective, this approach will inform future family-based interventions in rural communities.