Impact of Teen Peer Advocates on Elementary Students' Knowledge of Diabetes

In response to the epidemic increases in child obesity, a multi-level community partnership was formed to promote healthy living at one low-income elementary school in San Diego, CA. As part of this partnership, teen peer advocates from one of the community partner organizations, the Elementary Institute of Science, were trained in diabetes awareness and prevention by the local American Diabetes Association (ADA) as well as Project Dulce of the Whittier Institute for Diabetes. These teen peer advocates (n = 17) were African American and Hispanic 13 – 16 year old middle and high school students. Once trained, the teen peer advocates created a diabetes awareness health fair for fifth grade students at the target elementary school. Knowledge was tested immediately before and after the two hour health fair. A total of 62 fifth grade students (10 – 12 years old) were tested. As a result of the health fair, more students knew the definition of diabetes (23% vs. 45%; p < .001), and could identify type 1 diabetes (23% vs. 40%; p < .01), type 2 diabetes (21% vs. 52%; p < .001), and the warning signs of diabetes (10% vs. 39%; p < .001). There was also a significant increase in knowledge about the recommended number of daily fruit and vegetable servings (57% vs. 82%; p < .01). Building partnerships among community organizations and schools is an excellent strategy to promote diabetes and obesity awareness for young children and in turn potentially prevent these diseases later in life.