The Bigger Picture study is a three-phase mixed methods (interview/focus group and survey-based) project conducted with an inclusive group (based on race and known social drivers of health) of adolescents and young adults (aged 13-14 years.) This study was designed to examine several social drivers of health and their relations to self-management behaviors and other psychosocial and glycemic (diabetes health) outcomes. Of particular interest was social capital as a potentially protective factor for self-management behaviors and health outcomes. This study was also designed to co-develop and preliminary validate a novel measure of social capital with young people living with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers.

The FLEXED Study focuses on dietary self-management in teens and young adults with type 1 diabetes. In this two-phase (survey and interview) study, we are interested in how flexibility (i.e., intuitive eating) and inflexibility/rigidity (i.e., disordered eating) in thoughts and behaviors related to eating and food might relate to psychological (i.e., anxiety, depression, body image) and diabetes health outcomes (i.e., HbA1c). We also aimed to understand experiences of eating in an inclusive sample (based on race and body size) of adolescents of young adults and relations between eating (in)flexibility, psychological factors, and social drivers of health (e.g., food security, social capital).

Our lab is passionate about improving equity in health outcomes and the care received at Cincinnati Children’s. Aligned with this mission, we have built collaborations with the Division of Endocrinology and the Equity in Diabetes Care and Transformation Team of the hospital’s Health Equity Network and routinely partner on equity-focused quality improvement initiatives. We also routinely participate in community education and connection events hosted by the Division of Endocrinology.