Robin Whittemore, APRN, FAAN
Professor Emeritus of NursingCards
Additional Titles
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Contact Info
About
Titles
Professor Emeritus of Nursing
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Biography
Robin Whittemore is a Professor at Yale School of Nursing, Director of the PhD program, and the Co-Director of the National Clinician Scholars Program at Yale. Dr. Whittemore’s research focus is on lifestyle change to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes as well as the psychosocial adjustment to chronic illness. Initially her work focused on adults with type 2 diabetes, specifically in translating theory-based interventions with established efficacy into a new setting, such as modifying the Diabetes Prevention Program for delivery by nurse practitioners in primary care and by visiting nurses and community health workers (CHWs) in subsidized housing. She has modified behavioral interventions for adults and adolescents to a technology platform. She has translated an in-person coping skills training program and an obesity prevention program for youth to the internet and has used text messaging to provide a positive psychology intervention for adolescents with type 1 diabetes, Currently, she is developing an internet program for parents of adolescents with type 1 diabetes, and modifying a group-based program for adults of low socioeconomic status with T2D in Mexico that includes a theory-based mHealth component.
Activities:
- Teens with type 1 diabetes, (South Central University, Changsha China). Collaboration with Dr. Jia Guo to adapt and evaluate a coping skills training program for tees with type 1 diabetes in China.
- Gestational diabetes, (South Central University, Changsha China). Collaboration with Dr. Jia Guo to evaluate a lifestyle change program for rural women in China with a history of gestational diabetes
- Adults with type 2 diabetes, (Iberoamerica University, Mexico City, Mexico). Collaboration with Dr. Rafael Perez Escamilla, Dr. Vilar Compte, and Ana Bertha Perez to evaluate a self-management program plus mHealth for adults with type 2 diabetes in Seguro Popular Clinics.
Departments & Organizations
- Diabetes Research Center
- Nursing Website
- Obesity Research Working Group
- Yale Institute for Global Health
- Yale School of Nursing
Research
Overview
Teens with type 1 diabetes
(South Central University, Changsha China)
Collaboration with Dr. Jia Guo to adapt and evaluate a coping skills training program for teens with type 1 diabetes in China.
Gestational diabetes
(South Central University, Changsha China)
Collaboration with Dr. Jia Guo to evaluate a lifestyle change program for rural women in China with a history of gestational diabetes
Adults with type 2 diabetes
(Iberoamerica University, Mexico City, Mexico)
Collaboration with Dr. Rafael Perez Escamilla, Dr. Mireya Vilar Compte, and Ana Bertha Perez to evaluate a self-management program plus mHealth for adults with type 2 diabetes in Seguro Popular clinics.
ORCID
0000-0001-9434-0230
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Sangchoon Jeon, PhD
Soohyun Nam, PhD, ANP (BC), APRN
Garrett Ash, PhD
David Vlahov
Janene Batten, EdD, MLS
Margaret Grey, DrPH, RN, FAAN
Publications
2025
Multilevel Intervention to Increase Patient Portal Use in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Who Access Health Care at Community Health Centers: Single Arm, Pre-Post Pilot Study
Whittemore R, Jeon S, Akyirem S, Chen H, Lipson J, Minchala M, Wagner J. Multilevel Intervention to Increase Patient Portal Use in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Who Access Health Care at Community Health Centers: Single Arm, Pre-Post Pilot Study. JMIR Formative Research 2025, 9: e67293. PMID: 40131327, PMCID: PMC11979536, DOI: 10.2196/67293.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCommunity health centersPatient portal useDigital health literacyPortal useHealth literacyMultilevel interventionsType 2 diabetesSocial determinants of healthDiabetes self-management educationCommunity health workersImprove health equityDeterminants of healthSelf-management educationDiabetes self-efficacyHealth-related outcomesBarriers to clinical integrationPre-post designHemoglobin A<sub>1c</sub> levelDiabetes distressHealth equityPatient portalsSocial determinantsDeliver carePortal accountHealth appsSelf-Reported Physical Activity in Chinese American Immigrants With a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.
Huang S, Ash G, Cao J, D'Eramo Melkus G, Nam S, Jeon S, McMahon E, Whittemore R. Self-Reported Physical Activity in Chinese American Immigrants With a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. The Journal Of Cardiovascular Nursing 2025 PMID: 40106676, DOI: 10.1097/jcn.0000000000001197.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHistory of gestational diabetes mellitusChinese American immigrant womenChinese American immigrantsPhysical activityGestational diabetes mellitusInternational Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long FormHigh-risk minority groupsModerate-to-vigorous PAHealth issuesSelf-reported PAImmigrant womenDomains of PAIncrease provider awarenessCardiometabolic disease riskParticipants' mean ageHigh-risk womenCardiometabolic risk factorsPhysical health issuesAmerican immigrantsOpen-ended questionsBody mass indexHard-to-reachPA programsLow PAProvider awarenessExploring Perspectives and Challenges to Type 2 Diabetes Self-management in Haitian American Immigrants in the COVID-19 Era: An Emic View
Magny-Normilus C, Whittemore R, Schnipper J, Grey M. Exploring Perspectives and Challenges to Type 2 Diabetes Self-management in Haitian American Immigrants in the COVID-19 Era: An Emic View. Journal Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities 2025, 1-11. PMID: 39979694, DOI: 10.1007/s40615-025-02309-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsT2D self-managementSelf-managementType 2 diabetes self-managementT2D managementCross-sectional studyAmerican immigrantsSocial supportDisproportionate burdenHealthcare systemType 2 diabetesParticipants' perspectivesPurposive samplingMultifaceted approachContent analysisEthnic minoritiesHigh riskEffects of COVID-19T2DFamily relationshipsFacilitationCOVID-19Unique challengesMacrovascular diseaseParticipantsFinancial constraints
2024
The Associating Factors of Parent-Teen and Peer Relationships Among Chinese Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Luo J, Li Q, Whittemore R, Välimäki M, Guo J. The Associating Factors of Parent-Teen and Peer Relationships Among Chinese Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Psychology Research And Behavior Management 2024, 17: 3611-3623. PMID: 39435368, PMCID: PMC11492902, DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s474339.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDiabetes self-managementPositive coping styleNegative coping styleSelf-managementCoping stylesParenting teensRelationships subscaleDevelopment of targeted interventionsAssociated factorsType 1 diabetes mellitusMultivariate linear regression analysisRandomized controlled trialsPeer relationshipsPerceived stressDiabetes managementSelf-efficacyLinear regression analysisBaseline dataPeer cohesionSocial demographicsYounger ageStyle trainingRegression analysisSubscalesAdolescentsCamp-style lifestyle modification program (CAMP) for diabetes prevention among rural women with prior GDM: study protocol for a three-arm cluster hybrid type 2 randomized controlled trial
Chen Y, Zhong Q, Lv W, Long Q, Wang M, Chen J, Willey J, Whittemore R, Guo J. Camp-style lifestyle modification program (CAMP) for diabetes prevention among rural women with prior GDM: study protocol for a three-arm cluster hybrid type 2 randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health 2024, 24: 2570. PMID: 39304869, PMCID: PMC11414119, DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20080-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsIntensive lifestyle modificationLifestyle modification programLifestyle interventionGestational diabetes mellitusImplementation outcomesHealth consultationModification programCluster randomized clinical trialBackgroundIntensive lifestyle interventionsImprove postpartum careRandomized clinical trialsHealth promotion programsUsual care groupRisk of type 2 diabetes mellitusPrimary care settingIn-person sessionsEffective delivery modelsRisk of T2DMGestational diabetes mellitus historyGeneralized estimating equationsChinese Clinical Trial RegistryPostpartum careTechnology-based supportUsual careClinical Trials RegistryPersonal and Social‐Built Environmental Factors of Glucose Variability Among Multiethnic Groups of Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Research Protocol Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Continuous Glucose Monitoring, and Actigraphy
Nam S, Jeon S, Ash G, Weinzimer S, Dunton G, Parekh N, Grey M, Chen K, Lee M, Sajdlowska A, Whittemore R. Personal and Social‐Built Environmental Factors of Glucose Variability Among Multiethnic Groups of Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Research Protocol Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Continuous Glucose Monitoring, and Actigraphy. Research In Nursing & Health 2024, 47: 608-619. PMID: 39243147, PMCID: PMC11934073, DOI: 10.1002/nur.22420.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsEmotional well-beingType 2 diabetesImprove diabetes outcomesDietary recall dataWell-beingSelf-report toolMultilevel risk factorsEcological momentary assessmentLifestyle behaviorsOnline video callsContinuous glucose monitoringPhysical activityDiabetes outcomesGroup of adultsLifestyle factorsJust-in-time interventionsBaseline surveyDiverse adultsDiabetes InterventionsHigh-risk groupRecall dataMomentary assessmentActigraphy deviceStructural equation modelingGlucose monitoringStudy Recruitment, Retention, and Adherence Among Chinese American Immigrants During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Huang S, Nam S, Ash G, Wu B, Melkus G, Jeon S, McMahon E, Dickson V, Whittemore R. Study Recruitment, Retention, and Adherence Among Chinese American Immigrants During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nursing Research 2024, 73: 328-336. PMID: 38905624, DOI: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000731.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsChinese American immigrantsRecruitment strategiesRetention strategiesSnowball samplingOnline surveyMultiple recruitment strategiesPhysical activity studiesForeign-born Chinese womenCOVID-19 pandemicAmerican immigrantsGestational diabetesDiverse socioeconomic groupsStudy websiteReport adherenceEmail remindersGeographically diverse sampleHealth researchText remindersAdherence strategiesCommunity outreachStudy recruitmentDiabetes diagnosisIndex pregnancyStudy webpageChinese womenA Systematic Review of Interventions That Address Food Insecurity for Persons With Prediabetes or Diabetes Using the RE-AIM Framework
Whitehouse C, Akyirem S, Petoskey C, Huang S, Lendvai D, Batten J, Whittemore R. A Systematic Review of Interventions That Address Food Insecurity for Persons With Prediabetes or Diabetes Using the RE-AIM Framework. The Science Of Diabetes Self-Management And Care 2024, 50: 141-166. PMID: 38545669, DOI: 10.1177/26350106241232649.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRE-AIMFood insecurityRE-AIM elementsRE-AIM frameworkQualified Health CentersSystematic Reviews of InterventionsSystematically review interventionsDiabetes-related outcomesCommunity-based outreachResearch team membersSustainability of interventionsReviews of InterventionsFederal poverty levelScreening of abstractsAssociated with higher riskQuality of lifeHigh-risk populationStatistically significant improvementDiabetes outcomesImplement interventionsHealth centersSelf-managementUnique citationsType 2 diabetesSelf-efficacyRecommendations to Address Barriers to Patient Portal Use Among Persons With Diabetes Seeking Care at Community Health Centers: Interview Study With Patients and Health Care Providers
Akyirem S, Wagner J, Chen H, Lipson J, Minchala M, Cortez K, Whittemore R. Recommendations to Address Barriers to Patient Portal Use Among Persons With Diabetes Seeking Care at Community Health Centers: Interview Study With Patients and Health Care Providers. JMIR Diabetes 2024, 9: e58526. PMID: 39284181, PMCID: PMC11443204, DOI: 10.2196/58526.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPatient portal useCommunity health centersPortal useDiabetes self-managementPatient portalsClinician burdenHealth centersSelf-managementLow health literacyImprove health equityQualitative descriptive designPatient-clinician communicationHealth care providersBilingual research assistantsPerspective of adultsHealth care facilitiesHealth literacyHealth equityDescriptive designAddress barriersAssociated with significant improvementsCare providersSpanish interviewHealth informationCare facilities
2023
The Impact of Blast Exposure—With or Without Traumatic Brain Injury—on Metabolic Abnormalities in Post-9/11 Veterans
Lendvai D, Whittemore R, Womack J, Fortier C, Milberg W, Fonda J. The Impact of Blast Exposure—With or Without Traumatic Brain Injury—on Metabolic Abnormalities in Post-9/11 Veterans. Journal Of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 2023, 38: 380-390. PMID: 36951458, PMCID: PMC10514232, DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000874.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBlast-related traumatic brain injuryOverweight/obesityMetabolic abnormalitiesTraumatic brain injuryBlast exposurePost-9/11 veteransBrain injuryRelative riskCross-sectional secondary data analysisTranslational Research CenterSomatic conditionsHealth prevention interventionsCardiometabolic syndromeGlucose dysregulationMean ageWeight managementSecondary data analysisPrevention interventionsMeeting criteriaVeteran cohortPoisson regressionSecondary aimBaseline samplesMajority maleAbnormalities
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Lifestyle and Glucose Fluctuations (LGF)
HIC ID2000030766RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date07/31/2023Recruiting Participants