A Digital Diabetes Prevention Program for Hispanic Adolescents (Fit24+): Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Hispanic youth are disproportionately impacted by obesity and subsequent type 2 diabetes (T2D) yet remain underrepresented in diabetes prevention research. Digital health interventions hold promise for increasing the accessibility to and engagement in disease prevention programming, particularly among high-risk populations. However, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding digital T2D prevention programs for adolescents or Hispanic youth. Objective: The objective of this article is to describe the protocol for examining the feasibility of a 12-week digital diabetes prevention program among Hispanic adolescents with obesity. Methods: Participants (N=40; aged 12-16 years) will be randomized (1:1) to a 12-week intervention group or a control group. Youth in the intervention group will receive access to an e-learning platform with 12 nutrition and wellness video content sessions, a Fitbit Charge 5, and daily SMS text messages grounded in the self-determination theory to promote physical activity. Youth in the standard control group will receive information on diet and physical activity guidelines and guidance on setting behavior change goals. The study findings will focus on the evaluation of feasibility criteria: (1) recruitment of 40 Hispanic adolescents aged 12 to 16 years; (2) retention of 80% of the participants for postassessments; (3) integrity of the study protocol, defined as 70% or higher completion of content sessions and Fitbit wear on 5 days per week or more with response to 80% of SMS text messages when prompted; (4) 10% or lower incidence of technical issues; and (5) 80% or higher satisfaction among participants. Results: This study was funded in August 2022 and intervention implementation is ongoing. To date, 35 participants have been enrolled. Study findings will be available before December 2026 and will focus on an evaluation of the a priori feasibility criteria on participant recruitment, data collection, integrity of the study protocol, technical issues, and satisfaction. Study findings will also focus on secondary outcomes. Conclusions: The feasibility and process evaluation data obtained from this study will provide novel insights on the use of digital T2D prevention strategies among Hispanic youth and families and will inform the development of future digital health interventions among high-risk pediatric populations.