Grant: Op. Gr.:Diabetes, Psychosocial Health, Prev./Self-Manag. - CIHR-JDRF Pool in T1D

Adolescents living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) face daily challenges related to blood glucose management during a critical stage in their development. These challenges can negatively impact their quality of life and mental health. The diabetes-specific distress and anxiety that accompany these challenges can be overcome by increasing daily physical activity levels. This study aims to use peer mentors to support adolescents living with T1D to increase their physical activity (PA) and improve their mental health. We will recruit 60 adolescents between the ages 13 and 17 years with T1D in Winnipeg, and Mississauga, then randomly assign them to either the peer mentor intervention, or a control group who receive standard health recommendations for twelve weeks. The intervention will consist of 3 group or individual sessions weekly led by a young adult living with T1D that has adopted and sustained an active lifestyle. The young adult mentor will build internal motivation for behaviour change by fostering autonomy, mastery and a sense of relatedness during these sessions. The sessions will be a mixture of virtual and in-person sessions as per public health recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and based on the needs of the adolescent. We will measure changes in daily activity levels and quality of life. We will also conduct a qualitative study with some of the adolescents who receive the intervention about contextual factors that influenced their participation. The information gained will inform a larger definitive trial and could inform clinical practice guidelines with experimental evidence.