MATCH: The Mexican-American Trial of Community Health Workers

Summary

The MATCH study (Mexican-American Trial of Community Health Workers) tests the hypothesis that the use of indigenous Community Health Workers (CHWs), recruited from the target community and trained to provide culturally appropriate diabetes education, can promote pro-active self-management among inner-city dwelling Mexican-Americans with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study aims are to demonstrate that a CHW, compared to an attention control, will: 1) result in improvement in short term physiologic outcomes (Hemoglobin A1c levels and blood pressure), and 2) result in increased frequency of self-management behaviors (daily self blood-glucose monitoring, medication adherence, adherence to diet and physical activity recommendations). The study design is a single site, partially blinded, randomized controlled trial of 144 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Eligibility criteria include a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, residence in target community areas in the Chicago area, and Mexican or Mexican-American ethnic heritage. Participants are randomized to either an experimental group receiving 36 home visits over a two year period in which a CHW delivered diabetes education and self-management skills training, or to an attention control consisting of 36 bilingual diabetes education newsletters covering the same curriculum as the CHWs. The curriculum covers recommended diabetes self-management behaviors including glucose self-monitoring, responding to abnormal blood glucose levels, working effectively with health care providers, medication adherence, foot care, daily physical activity, and reducing fat content of diet. CHWs also deliver training in behavioral skills of self-monitoring, environmental restructuring, engagement of social support, stress management, and problem-solving skills to facilitate the self-management activities. Consistent delivery of the CHW intervention is documented by audiotapes and Documentation of Intervention worksheets.

Conditions

• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Community Health Worker Intervention

A Community Health Worker makes 36 home visits to the person with diabetes over a two year period, providing diabetes education and self-management skills training. The curriculum covers recommended diabetes self-management behaviors including glucose self-monitoring, responding to abnormal blood glucose levels, working effectively with health care providers, medication adherence, foot care, daily physical activity, and reducing fat content of diet. CHWs also deliver training in behavioral skills of self-monitoring, environmental restructuring, engagement of social support, stress management, and problem-solving skills to facilitate the self-management activities.

BEHAVIORAL

Educational Newsletter

Diabetes education and self-management skills training delivered via 36 bilingual diabetes education newsletters over a 2 year period. The newsletters cover recommended diabetes self-management behaviors including glucose self-monitoring, responding to abnormal blood glucose levels, working effectively with health care providers, medication adherence, foot care, daily physical activity, and reducing fat content of diet. The newsletters also describe behavioral skills of self-monitoring, environmental restructuring, engagement of social support, stress management, and problem-solving skills to facilitate the self-management activities.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  collaborator NIH

• Rush University Medical Center

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2005-05-31

Primary Completion

2010-12-31

Completion

2010-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations