Research to Impact Black Youth with Type 1 Diabetes

To development and provide intervention to improve health outcomes.

The University of Memphis’ Dr. Kris Berlin, professor of Child & Family Students and Clinical Health Research Areas in the department of Psychology, has received a subaward from Wayne State University School of Medicine and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health to develop an intervention aimed at improving health outcomes in Black youth with type 1 diabetes. The project is “Family mHealth Intervention to Improve Health Outcomes in Black Youth with Type 1 Diabetes: A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial,” and Berlin and Kathryn Sumpter, MD at UTHSC will coordinate the Memphis site at Le Bonheur, and Angelica Eddington, PhD, is the site PI at the Children’s National Hospital.

$3 million award from

In Type 1 diabetes (T1D) – also known as juvenile diabetes – the body does not produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes affects approximately 120,000 U.S. children and rates of diagnosis are rising faster among black youth than white youth. The disparities black youth face, including environmental and socioeconomic factors and increase their risk for diabetes complications.

The five-year award will test a brief intervention delivered through mobile health technology intended to optimize family interactions related to diabetes care. The intervention has the potential to improve the health of this vulnerable population and their primary caregivers.

For more information on this award and/or research, contact Berlin at ksberlin@memphis.edu.