NCT07822555Not yet recruiting
A Novel Miniature Equine-Assisted Diabetes Education Program for Youth: Evaluating the Diabetes Equine Empowerment Program (DEEP).
Tiny Hooves, Big Impact - A Feasibility Study of Miniature Equine-Assisted Diabetes Education for Children With Diabetes
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 5 Nov 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The Diabetes \& Equine Empowerment Program (DEEP) is a research study evaluating a novel diabetes education program that combines hands-on interactions with miniature horses and evidence-based diabetes self-management education for youth ages 8-20 years with diabetes. Participants and their caregivers attend four structured educational sessions led by a diabetes specialist and a certified equine specialist. Topics include diabetes self-management, coping skills, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and transition readiness. Researchers will evaluate whether the program is feasible to deliver, acceptable to participants and families, and helpful in supporting engagement in diabetes care. Participants will be followed for up to six months after the program, and study outcomes include satisfaction, diabetes-related distress, self-care behaviors, clinic attendance, and diabetes technology use. In simple terms, this study is exploring whether learning about diabetes through guided activities with miniature horses can help children, adolescents, and young adults feel more confident in managing their diabetes, improve self-care skills, and become more engaged in their health care. The goal is to determine whether this innovative educational approach is practical to offer and valued by patients, families, and health care providers.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 50 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 18 Aug 2026
- Start date
- 12 Jan 2027
- Primary completion date
- 1 Oct 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Nemours Children's Clinic
- Diseases
- Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes
- NCT number
- NCT07822555
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 50
- From 12 Jan 2027 to the primary completion date, 1 Oct 2027
- No sites listed in no country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Previous participation in the DEEP intervention
Other illness
- Medical, physical, cognitive, or behavioral condition that would prevent safe participation in study activities
- Allergy to horses that would limit participation
- Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, would make participation unsafe or interfere with study completion
Other
- Non-English-speaking participant or caregiver
- Significant fear of horses that would limit participation
- Inability or unwillingness to complete study procedures or follow-up assessments
Who the study is looking for
- Age 8 to 20 years
- Diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Most recent HbA1c greater than 9.0% OR no diabetes clinic follow-up for more than 6 months
- English-speaking participant and caregiver
- Receiving diabetes care at the participating study site
- Willing and able to participate in the DEEP intervention
- Able to attend all four study sessions
- Able to provide informed consent/assent, as applicable
- Caregiver willing to participate in study activities and assessments
Age in the registry: 8 years to 20 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.