Lessons on Resilient Research: Adapting the Tribal Turning Point Study to COVID-19

• Published in: American Indian and Alaska native mental health research Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 155 - 182
• Main Authors: Steinberg, Rachel I, Begay, Joel A, Begay, Paula M, Goldtooth, Deidra L, Nelson, Shawna T M, Yazzie, Debra A, Delamater, Alan M, Hockett, Christine W, Phimphasone-Brady, Phoutdavone, Powell, Jeffrey C, Sinha, Madhumita, Dabelea, Dana, Sauder, Katherine A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2022
• Subjects: Adolescent; COVID-19; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - prevention & control; Humans; Indians, North American; Life Style; Pandemics - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0893-5394; 1533-7731
• DOI: 10.5820/aian.2902.2022.155

Tribal Turning Point (TTP) is a community-based randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention to reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes in Native youth. TTP began in 2018 and was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In this paper we aimed to understand 1) how the pandemic impacted TTP's operations, and how the TTP team successfully adapted to these impacts; 2) how the effects of COVID-19 and our adaptations to them were similar or different across TTP's research sites; and 3) lessons learned from this experience that may help other Native health research teams be resilient in this and future crises. Using a collaborative mixed methods approach, this report explored five a priori domains of adaptation: intervention delivery, participant engagement, data collection, analytic strategies, and team operations. We derived three lessons learned: 1) ensure that support offered is flexible to differing needs and responsive to changes over time; 2) adapt collaboratively and iteratively while remaining rooted in community; and 3) recognize that relationships are the foundation of successful research.