The REACH Detroit Partnership is aimed at prevention and management of diabetes. Family focus groups were fundamental to the REACH Detroit Partnership community action planning process. Process and content guidelines were developed by the REACH Steering Committee. Focus group facilitators recruited by southwest and eastside Detroit partner organizations participated in a training seminar and the analysis of findings. Latino and African American families were invited by partner organizations to discussions organized by age and gender. Themes included perceptions of diabetes prevalence; beliefs about causation, risk and impact; individual, family and community assets and barriers related to diabetes risk reduction, detection and care; and strategies for successful intervention. Participant recommendations included: provide family-oriented activities; educate health care providers about patient, family and community needs, including cultural issues; train staff to help family members accomplish provider recommendations and provide bilingual staff and educational materials; develop group activities that provide mutual education, social contact, discussion of worries and strategies for lifestyle change, mutual motivation and increased safety; and engage residents in community action to influence the availability of healthy foods, safe places to exercise and diabetes-related care and services in the REACH communities. Focus group results were discussed at subsequent community planning meetings and formed the basis for the REACH Phase II intervention. See www.sph.umich.edu/urc
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, participants will be able to: 1: describe use of focus group methodology to actively engage community residents in intervention planning 2: describe community-identified concepts of diabetes causation, risk reduction and control, including barriers to achieving a healthy lifestyle and to obtaining appropriate medical care 3: describe community-identified strategies for reducing identified barriers at family and community levels.
Keywords: Community Planning, Diabetes
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