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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Ellen J. Graver, MS¹, Robin Whitacre¹, Vern Hartz¹, Deborah Jean McClelland, MLS², Mirasol Bravo³, and Cynthia A. Thomson¹. (1) The Arizona Cancer Center, The University of Arizona, Arizona Diet and Behavioral Assessment Center, 2601 N Campbell Ave Suite 109, Tucson, AZ 85719, (2) Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210228, Tucson, AZ 85724, 520-626-7946, jmc@rho.arizona.edu, (3) Migrant Health Promotion, Inc., P.O. Box 337, Progreso, TX 78596

The REACH 2010 Promotora Community Coalition is a CDC-supported participatory research partnership that brings clinics, schools, community members and universities together to reduce health disparities tied to chronic illness among Hispanic residents in three rural communities in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. The Coalition is focused on primary and secondary prevention of diabetes. In one of its interventions, REACH promotoras at three community health centers (CHCs) led culturally appropriate, Spanish-language, diabetes education classes for patients with diabetes – including dietary education aimed at improving daily diet through the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, less soda and sugary drinks, more low-fat milk, and less saturated fats in cooking. The Southwest Food Frequency Questionnaire – a validated, bicultural, bilingual instrument containing 158 food items – was used to measure self-reported dietary intake at baseline and approximately 18 months later for 160 intervention participants and 121 patients in a control group (who did not attend classes). Over 75% of the participants were female, almost 90% were 45 or older, and about half had health insurance. The SWFFQ demonstrated significant changes in intakes of key intervention-associated nutrients at follow-up in intervention group subjects. Differences were observed for energy, total fat, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, cholesterol, saturated fat, and consumption of whole milk and sugary drinks. Significant differences in carbohydrate and dietary fiber were also seen in the comparison group at follow-up. The SWFFQ captured differences in dietary intakes associated with the dietary intervention, thus suggesting that this instrument can be used in a community-based dietary intervention program.

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