Mobile Application-delivered Resistance Program for Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes (Diactive-1) (Diactive-1)

Effectiveness of the Mobile Application-delivered Resistance Program for Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes (Diactive-1) on Insulin Requirements: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

This project involves a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a mobile application aimed at prescribing resistance training for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (Diactive-1). The program will span 24 weeks, with a minimum weekly frequency of 3 sessions. The researchers aim to recruit 52 participants but will enroll additional participants to account for potential withdrawals and ensure compliance with the desired sample size. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of the Diactive-1 mobile application on insulin requirements in children and adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes. Additionally, the researchers will investigate the effects of the Diactive-1 program on secondary parameters such as glycemic control, cardiometabolic indicators, physical fitness, and daily physical activity, among others. The hypothesis posits that personalized training through a mobile application, primarily focusing on muscular strength, will effectively reduce the daily insulin dosage in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Type 1 Diabetes
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Diactive-1 application

Detailed Description

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Diactive-1 mobile application, which offers personalized resistance training, in reducing daily insulin requirements among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

To achieve this objective, researchers will conduct a 24 weeks randomized controlled trial involving at least 52 participants diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The study will consist of two groups: an experimental group utilizing the Diactive-1 application and a control group receiving standard treatment. Participant allocation to either group will be determined through central randomization.

The Diactive-1 intervention encompasses several key features, including: (i) tailoring exercises based on initial physical fitness levels; (ii) adjusting the previous exercise to the glucose level measured through an interstitial glucose monitor or entered manually before the training session; (iii) monitoring heart rate during exercise; (iv) providing the flexibility to train with or without equipment, individually or with a partner; (v) dispensing diabetes management advice before and after each training session; and (vi) adapting training progressions based on session adherence. A face-to-face session will be conducted before commencing the intervention to ensure that participants are familiar with the fundamental movements, thus reducing the risk of potential muscle injuries.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 62
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Navarre
    • Pamplona, Navarre, Spain, 31008
      • Fundación Miguel Servet/ Navarrabiomed
    • Pamplona, Navarre, Spain, 31008
      • Paediatric Endocrinology Unit at Hospital Universitario de Navarra

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 8-18 years old
• At least 6 months post-diagnosis for type 1 diabetes
• Ability to complete measures and intervention program in Spanish
• Access to broadband or cellular internet
• Patients who signed the informed consent form prior to participation; for minors, a legal representative must provide consent and sign the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any comorbidity limiting the capacity to participate in physical activity or inadequate understanding of the Spanish language.
• Participants will be excluded if they don't have access to the internet, lack a smartphone or tablet, or are unable to use the application.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental app intervention group; The intervention in the experimental group will center around the use of a mobile application (i.e., device), namely the Diactive-1 app.	Device: Diactive-1 application; Participants will engage in 24 weeks resistance exercise program with goal of maintaining at least 3 sessions per week with 4-5 exercises per session (13-33 minutes). The training intervention will comprise 3-4 sets of 6-12 repetitions and will consist of a combination of exercises for the upper and lower body and the core, utilizing the participants' body weight as the primary resistance or auxiliary materials such as elastic bands and a water-fillable kettlebell. The load and intensity of the exercise will be based on the number of repetitions, the resistance of the elastic bands and/or the weight of the aquaball, as well as the difficulty of the exercises. A mobile application known as Diactive-1 will be utilized.
No Intervention: Waiting-list control group; This arm will not complete an intervention. Participants will be instructed to continue to follow their normal daily diabetes care plan (i.e., standard care). This group will be granted access to the app following the intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in daily insulin dose requirement	The daily insulin dose requirements will be measured in units per kilogram of body weight. Assessment will rely on participant-reported data from insulin pumps or injection logs, gathered for 9 days prior to the intervention, at 12 weeks, and after the intervention.	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in glycated hemoglobin	Glycated hemoglobin (measured in percent)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Number of participants with good glycemic control	Number of participants with a glycated hemoglobin level lower than 7%	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in time in range	The percentage of time a person spends with their blood glucose levels in the target range (70-180 mg/dL or 3.9-10 mmol/L) (measured in percent)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in time below range	The percentage of time a person spends with their blood glucose levels below the target range (<70 mg/dL or <3.9 mmol/L, i.e., hypoglycemia) (measured in percent)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in time above range	The percentage of time a person spends with their blood glucose levels above the target range (>180 mg/dL or 10 mmol/L, i.e., hyperglycemia) (measured in percent).	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in glycemic variability	Glycemic variability measures the fluctuation in blood glucose levels over time, expressed as a percentage. Lower glycemic variability indicates more stable levels, while higher glycemic variability suggests greater fluctuations.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in compliance with 24-hour movement behaviors	Physical activity at different intensities (average min/day), sedentary time (average min/day) and sleep (average min/day) will be measured using GENEActive accelerometers and self-reported questionnaires	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in physical activity	Physical activity will be estimated using the GENEActive triaxial accelerometer (ActivInsights) and measured in minutes per day	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in self-reported physical activity	Aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities will be assessed using two separate ad hoc questions. Participants will have response options ranging from 0 to 7 days per week, with increments of 1 day	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in sedentary behaviors	Sedentary behaviors will be self-reported using the Youth Leisure-Time Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire. Total daily sedentary screen time will be calculated by summing the durations of daily screen time activities. Furthermore, total screen time for both weekdays and weekends will be calculated in minutes per day	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in sleep duration	Sleep duration will be determined by recording the number of hours slept each day in a 9-day diary	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in sleep quality	Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire, which evaluates seven established aspects of sleep quality: subjective sleep quality, time taken to fall asleep, duration of sleep, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances (such as nightmares, pain, or feeling too hot or cold), use of sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction. Each question is scored on a scale from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating more pronounced sleep disturbances.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in blood pressure	Systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be measured in mmHg using a blood pressure monitor	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI)	Measuring Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (measured in percent) by VaSera VS 2000 (Fukuda Denshi, Japan)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in pulse wave velocity	Measuring pulse wave velocity (m/seg) by VaSera VS 2000 (Fukuda Denshi, Japan)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in heart rate variability	The heart rate will be recorded by a heart rate monitor in a beat-by-beat basis.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in disordered eating	Disordered eating will be screened using the mSCOFF questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of six straightforward yes/no questions. A positive response to two or more of these questions suggests a potential eating disorder, often requiring further evaluation.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in Health-Related Quality of Life in the context of a chronic illness	Health-Related Quality of Life in the context of a chronic illness will be evaluated using the Spanish version of the 'Questionnaire for Young People with Diabetes' (DISABKIDS). This questionnaire consists of 12 questions about how a patient has felt in the last four weeks, with responses rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in Health-Related Quality of Life	Health-Related Quality of Life will be evaluated using the Screening for and Promotion of Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents (KIDSCREEN-10). This is a generic 10-item unidimensional instrument that assesses the functional, mental, and social aspects of well-being in children and adolescents. Each item will offer five response categories, ranging from 'never' to 'always' or from 'not at all' to 'extremely'	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in subjective well-being	Subjective well-being will be assessed using the 'Cuestionario Unico de Bienestar Escolar' (CUBE), which comprises five items evaluating different aspects of life satisfaction. All variables will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale ranging from 0 to 10 (0 = totally disagree, 10 = totally agree).	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in cardiorespiratory fitness	Measured with an incremental VO2 protocol on exercise bike by COSMED Quark CPET plus OMNIA (COSMED®, Rome, Italy) (measured in mL/kg/min and Metabolic Equivalents [METs])	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in isometric strength	Handgrip strength measured in kilograms using the Takei III Smedley Type Digital Dynamometer	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in lower limb muscle dynamic strength	Lower limb muscle strength (legs and hips) measured in kg using eGym® machines (GmbH in Munich, Germany)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in upper limb muscle dynamic strength	Upper limb muscle strength (chest and arms) measured in kg using eGym® machines (GmbH in Munich, Germany)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in lower limb muscle power strength	Lower limb muscle power (legs and hips) measured in watts using eGym® machines (GmbH in Munich, Germany)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in upper limb muscle power strength	Upper limb muscle power (chest and arms) measured in watts using eGym® machines (GmbH in Munich, Germany)	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in self-reported physical fitness	The International Fitness Scale (IFIS) will be used to assess self-reported physical fitness. This scale includes five elements that will employ a 5-point Likert scale to inquire about children's overall perception of their physical fitness, as well as their perception of their cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, speed-agility, and flexibility compared to their peers. The Likert scale will provide choices ranging from 'very poor' to 'poor,' 'average,' 'good,' and 'very good' physical fitness.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet	For assessing adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, the KIDMED index will be employed. This index provides a score on a scale of 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating stronger adherence.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in dietary behavior	Self-reported food intake will be assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The daily consumption of food and beverages will be categorized into 12 groups: dairy, meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, starch, legumes, nuts, sweets, soft drinks, and alcoholic drinks.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in body mass index	Weight and height will be combined to report body mass index in kg/m^2	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in fat mass (percentage)	Fat mass will be measured using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA) and expressed as a percentage.	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in fat mass (in kilograms)	Fat mass will be measured using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA) and expressed in kilograms.	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in lean mass	Fat mass in kilograms will be measured using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA)	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in subcutaneos adiposity	Subcutaneos adiposity in cm^3 will be measured using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA)	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in visceral adiposity	Visceral adiposity in cm^3 will be measured using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA)	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in bone mineral content	Bone mineral content in grams will be measured using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA)	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in bone mineral density	Bone mineral density will be measured in grams/cm^2 using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA)	Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Change in blood lipids levels	The following parameters will be evaluated: fasting total cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol, HDL-Cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein (a), and apolipoproteins A-I and B levels, measured in mg/dL.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in fasting glucose	Fasting glucose will be measured in mg/dL.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Changes in liver enzymes	The following parameters will be evaluated: alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase.	Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in inadvertent hypoglycemia	The perception of hypoglycemia will be assessed using the Clarke test, which comprises eight questions with various potential answers. A score greater than 3 indicates impaired awareness of hypoglycemia.	Baseline and 24 weeks
App usability	The usability of the app will be evaluated using the Spanish Version of the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). This scale provides a comprehensive and objective measure of app usability and consists of 20 items. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 (inadequate) to 5 (excellent).	24 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fundacion Miguel Servet
• Collaborators: Universidad Pública de Navarra; Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Antonio García-Hermoso, PhD, Fundación Miguel Servet - Navarrabiomed

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hormazabal-Aguayo I, Munoz-Pardeza J, Lopez-Gil JF, Huerta-Uribe N, Chueca-Guindulain MJ, Berrade-Zubiri S, Burillo Sanchez E, Izquierdo M, Ezzatvar Y, Garcia-Hermoso A. Comprehensive management of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus through personalized physical exercise and education using an mHealth system: The Diactive-1 study protocol. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Feb 6;15:1354734. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1354734. eCollection 2024.

Helpful Links

• Related Info

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 20, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 28, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 20, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): September 21, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 15, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: mHealth; Insulin sensitivity; Resistance exercise; Glycemic control
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Endocrine System Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Diabetes Mellitus; Hyperinsulinism; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Insulin Resistance
• Other Study ID Numbers: AGH_Diactive1_2023

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No