Power to prevent diabetes

Mississippi has one of the highest incidence rates of diabetes in the United States. According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, more than one out of ten adults in Mississippi has diabetes. Although there are several risk factors, previous research indicated that eating habits are one of the most prevalent risks associated with Type 2 diabetes. , Reports show that the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes increases with unhealthy food consumption, particularly, with large portions. Therefore, the Center of Excellence in Minority Health at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, has implemented a health education intervention program to empower communities to eliminate health disparities in Type 2 diabetes. The objective of the program is to promote healthy eating habits and examine the association of diabetes health education and eating habits in a population of adults in rural Mississippi. Data was collected utilizing pre- and post- assessments at baseline and three months after the intervention. The results revealed a positive association between the lack of knowledge of diabetes risk factors and eating fried foods, drinking sodas and limited portion sizes during meals. Following intervention, there was a 32.1% (p=0.005) increase in the number of adults who limited their portion sizes during meals, and, an 18.9% (p≤0.05) decrease in the number of participants who consumed fried foods and soft drinks with sugar. In conclusion, this study showed that education of healthy eating habits is associated with the promotion of disease prevention.