South Asian Adolescent Diabetes Awareness Program: A Culturally Sensitive and Age-Adapted Nutrition Intervention Pilot Study

The increasing risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in South Asian (SA) adolescents in Canada emphasizes the need for targeted prevention efforts. Effective interventions and culturally responsive nutrition programming are crucial for promoting healthy behaviours and reducing the risk of T2D before diagnosis in this population. The objective of this study is to describe the unique design, content, and delivery of nutrition interventions in the South Asian Adolescent Diabetes Awareness Program (SAADAP), a community-based, culturally tailored T2D prevention initiative integrating health equity principles with lifestyle interventions for SA adolescents. In October 2018, SAADAP was launched in the Region of Peel located in Ontario, Canada, and 68 SA adolescents (aged 13-17 years) with a family history of T2D were invited to participate in the study. The eight-week program comprised of multiple nutrition sessions that were co-created by registered dietitians, the research team, a SA Youth Advisory Group, and members of a multi-stakeholder steering committee. Post-intervention questionnaires were completed by 43 participants, of whom 87% were in strong agreement about the beneficial impacts for SA adolescents. SAADAP is a promising and effective outreach platform to empower and educate youth on the positive impacts of nutrition on T2D prevention and health outcomes.