Coping Skills Training in a Telephone Health Coaching Program for Youth at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this article is to describe components of a health coaching intervention based on coping skills training delivered via telephone. This intervention was provided to urban adolescents at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), reinforcing a school-based curriculum designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent T2DM. Method Health coaching via telephone was provided to at-risk urban youth enrolled in a study of an intervention to reduce risk for T2DM. Vignettes are used to describe the use of several coping skills in this high-risk youth population. Results A variety of vignettes illustrate how telephone health coaching reinforced lifestyle changes in students by incorporating coping skills training. Discussion Given the benefits and the challenges of the telephone health coaching intervention, several suggestions for others who plan to use a similar method are described.