# Racial/Ethnic Differences in Social Support and Health Among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

> **NIH NIH F31** · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $39,120

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 About 1 in 10 people in the United States are currently affected by diabetes, an illness that demands
constant self-management with respect to diet, physical activity, glucose monitoring, and medication
adherence. Diabetes does not affect everyone equally—non-Hispanic Blacks unfortunately suffer a
disproportionate burden of diabetes prevalence, mortality, and complications compared to non-Hispanic
Whites. Across racial/ethnic group, family members often provide social support for individuals with type 2
diabetes, resulting in better diabetes self-care and lower HbA1c among both of these racial/ethnic groups.
These support behaviors are often distinguished based on type, such as whether family members provided
emotional or instrumental support. However, studies of supportive interactions within parent-child relationships
suggests that there are Black-White differences in other dimensions of support, such as whether the support
was unsolicited (i.e., unasked for) or overprotective (i.e., underestimates the individual’s capabilities). These
dimensions, along with other dimensions yet to be identified, merit further examination in an adult chronic
health population. The proposed study will utilize a mixed methods approach to examine other dimensions of
support that have rarely been examined, such as whether support received from family is unsolicited or
overprotective in nature. In Aim 1, qualitative interviews will be conducted to better characterize differences in
support received by Black and White individuals with type 2 diabetes. Then, ecological momentary assessment
(EMA) will be used to investigate Black-White differences in dimensions of daily support received from family.
Unsolicited support, overprotective support, and other salient dimensions identified through the qualitative
interviews will be measured. It is expected that Black individuals will report receiving higher levels of
unsolicited support and overprotective support than White individuals. In Aim 2, EMA will be used to explore
Black-White differences in the link between dimensions of received support and health. Given the different
perceptions of these support behaviors, it is expected that unsolicited and overprotective support will be
associated with worse mood and self-care among White individuals, but unrelated or related to better mood
and self-care for Black individuals. Links between other dimensions identified in the qualitative interviews and
health outcomes will also be examined. Utilizing qualitative methods will ground the research in participants’
lived experiences, and ecological momentary assessment will allow for more precise measurement of
supportive interactions as they occur in real time. To support the completion of the proposed project, the
applicant will receive personalized instruction from a team of leading researchers in health disparities,
qualitative methods, and quantitative methods, and conduct the research in an exceptional...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10140703
- **Project number:** 1F31MD015922-01
- **Recipient organization:** CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeanean Buenafe Naqvi
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $39,120
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10140703

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10140703, Racial/Ethnic Differences in Social Support and Health Among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (1F31MD015922-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10140703. Licensed CC0.

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