Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic health condition that requires daily and often
onerous self-management. Young adults (18-25 years old) with type 1 diabetes have
been found to have lower levels of self-management and high HbA1c levels (key
treatment outcome) and are therefore at increased risk of diabetes related
complications later in life. There are few specific interventions aimed at young adults
with type 1 diabetes, and those that exist have limited effectiveness, which has been
theorised to be due to lack of young adults being involved in their development, and the
limited extent to which such interventions tend to be theory-based. This thesis,
therefore, aimed to co-design a theory-based intervention for young adults with type 1
diabetes, to then be tested for effectiveness in a randomised controlled trial.
Part one of this portfolio presents an empirical paper on the co-design of a video
intervention aimed at improving self-management for young adults with type 1 diabetes.
The video was designed with young adults with type 1 diabetes and healthcare
professionals working in diabetes. The output was a novel five-minute animated video
based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in the context of young adulthood
and type 1 diabetes.
Part two of this portfolio presents an empirical paper which evaluates the
effectiveness of the co-designed animated video in a randomised controlled trial through
diabetes-related cognitions, behaviours and views (quantitative and qualitative) of the
video. The findings suggest that the video, a co-designed, theory-based intervention,
increases understanding of diabetes immediately after watching. Overall, the video was
viewed as an acceptable and suitable resource for young adults with type 1 diabetes.