Diabetes Risk Communication Tool Evaluation
Condition: Type 2 Diabetes
MeSH terms: Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Prevention for Type 2 Diabetes (T2D)has been vast but with limited success. While
      Singaporeans have high knowledge about T2D, its symptoms, and risk factors, healthy practices
      are still sub-optimal. Upon a qualitative investigation, it was found that there is little to
      no urgency to engage in T2D preventative behaviour due to to the low perceived threat, and
      high costs from required lifestyle changes relative to the benefits. Hence, this project
      targets to communicate the risk of diabetes in a more salient and effective way to improve
      the intention of preventative behaviour by targeting the constructs of Protection Motivation
      Theory (PMT) and increasing the threat and coping appraisals. The current available diabetes
      risk assessment tool's result page provides a binary output: "Higher vs Lower" Risk of being
      pre-diabetic. This aligns with the usual care practiced in clinics currently; patients are
      told if they are pre-diabetic or not. It does not provide any personalized or relevant tips
      on how to reduce risk. Hence, there was a demonstrated need to develop risk assessment tools
      that increase threat appraisal and communicate T2D risk in a more salient way to motivate the
      intention of behaviour change. The investigators developed two tools: Relative Risk, and
      Metabolic Age. The Relative Risk prototype demonstrates the user's relative risk on a scale
      of 1 to 10, in comparison to someone of the same age and sex. The number 1-10 represents
      their position in the percentile distribution of their risk scores. The Metabolic Age is
      identified by matching the risk score's percentile position to percentile of the incidence of
      T2D. The median age of the people in that percentile is reflected as the metabolic age. The
      primary objectives of this study is to evaluate which of these risk presentations (Usual
      care, relative risk, or metabolic age) evoke (i) effective cognitive and emotional responses
      to risk results and (2) motivation for the intention of behaviour change. The secondary
      objective is to provide empirical evidence for using PMT constructs in intervention
      development. The hypothesis is that those who are exposed to the Metabolic Age risk
      assessment and communication tool will have the most effective cognitive and emotional
      response, and the highest intention of engaging in behaviour change, followed by those
      exposed to relative risk, and then standard of care.
    


Intervention name(s): T2D Risk Communication Tool: Relative Risk; T2D Risk Communication Tool: Metabolic Age; T2D Risk Communication Tool: Traffic Light
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Risk of T2D is presented in comparison to the rest of the Singapore population in a scale 1-10. Suggestions on different lifestyle changes and its potential to reduce the individual's relative risk is presented for user to observe impact of preventative behaviours.; Risk of T2D is presented as an age, compared to their chronological age as a proxy for their current health status. Suggestions on different lifestyle changes and its potential to reduce the individual's metabolic age is presented for user to observe impact of preventative behaviours.; Risk of T2D is presented as either High (Red) or Low (Green). Generic tips on how to reduce risk of diabetes are included. This imitates the tool that is currently available for residents of Singapore to use to assess their risk of T2D.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention