Evaluating the mySugr App for Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Aim: This study examined whether using a commercially available diabetes app called mySugr for 12 weeks improves glycaemic control, diabetes self-care behaviours, and psychological outcomes compared to standard care in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods: Sixty-three adults (18-79 years) with T1D were recruited and randomised to the intervention group (mySugr app) (n=31) or the control group (standard care) (n=32). The primary outcome was glycaemic control, assessed at baseline, at 12-weeks follow-up, and the 6-month follow-up. The secondary outcomes included diabetes self-care behaviours, diabetes self-efficacy, diabetes distress, psychological well-being, and stress, assessed at baseline and at 12-weeks follow-up. Mixed analysis of variance (ANOVAs), analysis of covariance (ANCOVAs), and independent samples t-tests were used to examine differences in outcome measures between the intervention and control group at each follow-up and over time. Self-reported user engagement with mySugr was also explored. Directed content analysis was used to examine participants’ qualitative written feedback. Results: Of the 63 participants randomised, 55 completed the study (26 in the intervention group and 29 in the control group). The intervention group demonstrated a significantly lower HbA1c than the control group at the 12-week and 6-month follow-up after controlling for baseline differences, with results suggesting that HbA1c remained stable in the intervention group and slightly deteriorated in the control group during the six months. Regarding the secondary outcomes, there was no evidence to suggest any between-group differences or changes across time in diabetes self-care behaviours or psychological outcomes. Additionally, self-reported engagement with the mySugr app was high. Participants in the intervention group rated the app, on average, highly on the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS), and 20 of the 26 participants allocated to the intervention group (76.9%) used the app daily for 12 weeks. Conclusion: The results suggest that the mySugr app is an engaging and potentially useful diabetes app for stabilising glycaemic control. However, there was little evidence to indicate that the app improved adherence to the diabetes self-care regimen or psychological outcomes in the current sample. The study needs to be replicated in a larger sample size to ascertain the effects of mySugr on glycaemic control and to try to better understand the mechanisms through which mySugr is influencing glycaemic control. Overall, the present study contributes to a better understanding of whether a popular commercially available diabetes app can support the management of T1D.