TAUSI MATUA

Supported by the US National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

More than 1 in 3 adults in American Samoa

are living with diabetes.

  • What is the study?

    Tausi Matua is a randomized controlled trial of a family-based diabetes intervention. We are enrolling 160 dyads (adolescent + parent/guardian/grandparent). Participants are randomized 1:1 to either the diabetes intervention or a leadership and life skills curriculum.

    After 6 months of the intervention and 12 months post-enrollment we will examine changes in adult HbA1c, blood pressure, and BMI. We will also explore the same outcomes in adolescents.

    We will evaluate the intervention for acceptability and cost.

  • Diabetes Intervention

    Delivered using a facilitated discussion-based group model the diabetes intervention focuses on education, medication adherence, self-monitoring, diet, activity, sleep, stress, and engaging with the health care system.

  • Leadership & Life Skills

    The leadership and life skills curriculum focuses on mental health and wellness, goal setting, communication skills, and leadership.

    Leadership and life skills participants receive the diabetes education at the end of the study.

  • Impact

    This study is designed to address the critical need for diabetes prevention and treatment programs that can be scaled to reach all American Samoans and perhaps Pacific Islanders more broadly.

    Demonstrating efficacy of the intervention would be a starting point for larger scale programs.

  • The study is currently closed for enrollment, but we will be recruiting a new cohort of participants in Spring 2025. To participate your family must have an adult living with diabetes and an adolescent aged 14-17 years.

  • After a baseline research assessment families are randomized to either the diabetes or leadership and life skills group. In both groups, adolescents attend 12 group sessions over 6 months. We repeat the research assessments at the end of the intervention and 6 months after the end of the intervention.

  • If you are interested in participating in the study, please check our Facebook page (@YaleOlaga) for announcements about enrollment.