STUDY PROTOCOL article
Front. Health Serv.
Sec. Implementation Science
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frhs.2025.1624780
Use of a Mobile App and Educational Website to Promote Metabolic Control in People with Type 2 Diabetes: Study protocol for a Multicenter Clinical Trial
Provisionally accepted
Lubia Velázquez López1*
Gabriella Adanelly Ortiz Ortíz1
Miguel Klünder-Klünder2
Jenny Vilchis-Gil2Ignacio Pineda del Aguila1
Oswaldo Medina1Jorge Escobedo de la Peña1- 1Unidad de Investigación Biómedica. Hospital Carlos Mac Gregor Sánchez Navarro. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico, Mexico
- 2Hospital Infantil de México "Federico Gómez", Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Background: Diabetes education is key to achieving metabolic control and promoting healthy behaviors in people with type 2 diabetes. Mobile health (mHealth) tools have been shown to be an important tool for monitoring, disease care and lifestyle improvement in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In less developed countries, the effect of educational intervention through mHealth is still inconclusive. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of an intervention on metabolic control in people with T2D with mHealth intervention and educational website called "I understand my diabetes". Methods. The study is designed as a 12-month randomized controlled trial with three parallel arms: (1) Web-based education, (2) Web-based education + mobile app (diet and exercise plan), (3) Usual care. The total study duration is 12 months with data collection at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. We will enroll 408 Mexican adults with T2D, randomized equally across arms. Measurements at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months include A1c (primary outcome), lipid profile, anthropometry, body composition, quality of life, lifestyle, and physical activity. Discussion: The trial will evaluate whether reinforcing diabetes education with an app and educational website improves metabolic outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes. Findings may be relevant for implementation in public institutions with high demand of people with type 2 diabetes who have not presented severe complications of the disease. Integration of mHealth into routine care could enhance self-management and disease control in people with type 2 diabetes.
Keywords: type 2 diabetes, Mobile health applications, diabetes education, metabolic control, m-Health
Received: 19 May 2025; Accepted: 30 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Velázquez López, Ortiz Ortíz, Klünder-Klünder, Vilchis-Gil, Pineda del Aguila, Medina and Escobedo de la Peña. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lubia Velázquez López, lubia2002@yahoo.com.mx
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