Financial Incentives and Text Messaging to Improve African American Womens' Glycemic Control

Diabetes is a major public health problem that is associated with substantial health disparities for African American women compared to African American men or white men and women. This project will incorporate a) new technology whose use is high among African Americans (cell phone text message reminders), b) support from social networks, and c) strategies from the emerging field of behavioral economics to encourage and support self care behaviors that lead to improvements in diabetes control. In Stage I of the study, the investigators conducted focus groups with women with diabetes and their family members and friends. The investigators used information from these groups to work with a team of community partners to develop recruitment protocols, prepare study documents (including flyers, Frequently Asked Questions sheets, and informed consent forms), and finalize participant surveys. In the next phase of the study the investigators will evaluate ways that friends and family members can use direct support and text messages to improve control of blood sugar for African American women with type 2 diabetes. A team of three people--the Person With Diabetes (PWD) and 2 friends or family members, also known as the Support Team Members (STMs)--will be assigned at random to one of two groups to compare approaches to improving control of blood sugar. Each team will receive information and resources on improving diabetes control and will be linked by a text messaging program. The intervention team will receive additional text messaging support that may help them improve the PWD's diabetes control.