Improving Participation in Type 1 Diabetes Research in Children and Young People from Disadvantaged Communities (ImPacT)

Background: Despite improving glycaemic control in young people (YP) with T1 Diabetes (T1D) over the last ten years, those from the most deprived Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles have significantly worse glycaemic control and lower use of technology compared to peers from the least deprived quintile.

This discrepancy is replicated in non-white ethnic groups.

If this disparity in glycaemic control persists, young people from underserved backgrounds will have an increasing differential risk of diabetes-related micro- and macro-vascular complications, including premature death. This has significant implications at an individual and health service planning levels.

New treatments in T1D are usually introduced through research. Current evidence points to significant under-representation of YP from underserved communities across all study types.

Improving representation in research is critical to avoid the inequalities in uptake seen with diabetes technologies, as biological therapies are being developed with potential to alter natural history of the disease. Research Questions: In relation to YP, and their families from underserved communities, and T1D research: 1.

What is currently being done to support them taking part? 2. What are the barriers to taking part? 3. What would help them?

Aims and Objectives: To understand what the barriers are to research participation and how to increase research engagement in T1D studies in YP from underserved communities.

Methods: In a 2-phase study: Work Package (WP)1: Synthesis of current approaches to increasing research participation in CYP from disadvantaged communities.

WP1 includes a systematic review and in-depth interviews with T1D researchers nationally on current practices for increasing diversity in research cohorts. WP2: Exploration of barriers and facilitators for YP from disadvantaged communities to participate in research. WP2 includes community-based information sessions to recruit participants to focus groups to identify key themes.

Replicability of this work will be explored in Glasgow and London. Timelines: Starting in September 2024, WP1 will be completed by March 2025.

We will start relationship building with local community leaders and develop information sessions in partnership with our PPIE group and partners (Diabetes UK, Breaking Down Barriers and Community Connections). Ethical approval for focus groups will be obtained by July 2024. All focus groups will be complete by June 2026.

Full outcomes of WP2 will be available by September 2026. Anticipated Impact and Dissemination: We will publish peer-reviewed publications: 1. Systematic review 2. Summary of key findings from focus groups 3.

Researcher s Toolkit for increasing engagement in all T1D research study types from underserved communities to be utilised by research teams to enhance participation. We will disseminate our work through social media, major diabetes conferences and community settings.

Our work will establish key community relationships to deliver information about T1D research in a model that will aim to be replicable through future work on the feasibility and acceptability of a co-designed, community-delivered programme to increase research participation from underserved groups across all T1D studies in the UK.

This is potentially generalisable to research in other chronic diseases affecting YP.