C3.02 - Oral: Adapting Health Education Materials for People Living in Rural Communities Experiencing Food Insecurity

Brief Abstract Summary: Health educators will discover a process for adapting resources to meet the needs of communities underserved by health education programs. People who live in rural areas are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at higher rates than people in urban areas and are less likely to have receive type 2 diabetes prevention services. This presentation will describe efforts to adapt a static, online, self-guided resource for people living in rural communities who experience food insecurity. These included qualitative research, development of a video-based version of the static online tool, and pilot testing in collaboration with food banks/pantries. This presentation will describe the process for adapting the resource including the findings from the formative research, the development of the digital curriculum, the findings from the pilot test, and lessons learned from collaborating with food pantries/banks on type 2 diabetes prevention. It will also propose areas for future research and development.

Detailed abstract description: People who live in rural areas are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at higher rates than people in urban areas and are less likely to have access to and receive type 2 diabetes prevention services such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle change program (LCP). A variety of factors contribute to this disparity including fewer health care providers, fewer transportation options, lower rates of health literacy, and higher rates of uninsured individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers an online, self-guided resource called On Your Way to Preventing Type 2 Diabetes (OYW) to support type 2 diabetes prevention behavior change in people who are not ready or eligible, or who lack access to the LCP. This presentation will describe efforts to adapt OYW for people living in rural communities who experience food insecurity. This was accomplished through qualitative research with the audience to determine their knowledge, needs and barriers related to type 2 diabetes prevention behaviors, their preferences for learning materials, and the acceptability of the static OYW materials. This yielded recommendations for adapting the design, format, and content which guided the development of an interactive digital version of the resource in English and Spanish delivered via an inexpensive and simple to operate video device. A pilot study of the adapted resource was conducted with food banks/pantries serving rural communities to assess the effectiveness of the revised resource and feasibility of implementing it within organizations serving low-income rural communities. Results indicate improvements in attitudes and perceived benefits of physical activity, self-efficacy to sustain physical activity, and motivation to make healthy food choices, be more active and enroll in a lifestyle change program. The findings also suggest that additional information or support for personalizing the content to meet individual needs may be needed. Participants expressed a high degree of positive sentiment for the materials and offered suggestions for additional content they would find helpful. This suggests the self-guided video tools may be a promising strategy to engage people living in rural communities and experiencing food insecurity. This presentation will describe the process for adapting the resource including the findings from the formative research, the development of the digital curriculum, the findings from the pilot test, and lessons learned from collaborating with food pantries/banks on diabetes prevention. It will also describe areas for future research and development. As a result, health educators will understand a process for converting static materials to interactive resources that can meet the needs of communities underserved by health education resources and programs.