The mission of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Center for Continuing Education (UMDNJ, CCE) is to educate health care providers, and provide educational outreach to the community. Through this education, health outcomes will improve and health disparities will narrow. UMDNJ-CCE is involved in educational outreach research, testing initiatives to determine culturally specific interventions which best influences health outcomes. In this initiative we are outreaching to the South Asian Indian (specifically, Gujarati Indian) community to build a coalition, improve access to diabetes care, and provide sustainability to educational outcomes, eliminating some health disparities in diabetes. Many support letters from various segments of the Gujarati community suggest broad-based interest. Community leaders, both formal and informal, have committed their support to this project.
New Jersey is the third most densely populated state of South Asian Indians in the nation. Mid-1999, key Gujarati leaders approached the UMDNJ to help identify, reduce and eliminate health disparities related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Preliminary data indicate the occurrence of diabetes surpasses the national average and is suspicious of premature cardiovascular disease.
This educational outreach project incorporates cultural competency, participatory research, and principles of diabetes education within a defined population. The belief to develop a solid community foundation, develop and educate minority educators and researchers of the community, identify and evaluate key areas can positively impact the health of the community from a primary, secondary and tertiary population prevention approach, ultimately providing the community resources to sustain and replicate the outcomes.
Learning Objectives: The Participant will be able to: 1. Describe the incidence of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in the South Asian population in New Jersey, with special emphasis on the Gujurati 2. Determine the need for community participation in building a coalition to address health needs 3. List aspects of Participatory Research incorporated into this coalition building 4. Describe the public health impact related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease of this medically underserved minority group
Keywords: Community Outreach, Asian Americans
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.