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Online Program

328921
Hispanic Balanced Living with Diabetes: A Lifestyle Intervention for Underserved Hispanics in Southwest Virginia


Monday, November 2, 2015

Ivette Valenzuela, PhD, MPH, RN, Population Health Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Kathryn Hosig, PhD, MPH, RD, Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Carlos Evia, PhD, Deparment of English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Elena Serrano, PhD, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Kerry Redican, PhD, MPH, MSPH, CHES, Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
U.S. prevalence of diabetes in Hispanics was 12% in 2012 and is expected to be 20% by 2031.  In 2012, the total estimated cost of diabetes in U.S. was $245 billion.  Immigration status and language have been identified as barriers to access to health care in Hispanics.  Community-based diabetes education programs delivered in faith-based settings have been successful in improving diabetes self-management.

Objectives:  Increase awareness of diabetes risk among the Hispanic population; evaluate need for diabetes education among Hispanics; deliver and collect formative data for a community-based diabetes lifestyle intervention and collect data regarding social determinants of health.

Methods: Balanced Living with Diabetes, a community-based Virginia Cooperative Extension lifestyle education program for type 2 diabetes, was interpreted into Spanish.  Partnerships were created with Catholic Churches.  Preliminary A1C screening and formative pilot programs were offered at two Catholic churches.

Results.  Of 60 participants screened, 64% were 40 years old or younger, 55% had A1C > 5.7%, and 83% had not been told that they had abnormal sugar levels.  Formative Pilot program: of the combined 16 participants at both locations, 12 participants had A1C test done at beginning of classes and 6 had a 3-month follow up A1C test.  Of those, two had type 2 diabetes and four had pre-diabetes; A1C decreased 0.55± 0.39 and 0.15± 0.11 respectively.

Implications: Diabetes education in Spanish in community setting has potential to reduce complications of diabetes among Hispanic participants by providing lifestyle education to those who may not otherwise have access to it.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Diversity and culture

Learning Objectives:
Discuss awareness of pre-diabetes and diabetes among the Hispanic community; Explain the need for a diabetes education intervention in Spanish; and Analyze formative data for tailoring a future randomized control trial.

Keyword(s): Community-Based Health, Latinos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: This is my PhD dissertation project; I have been the principal investigator for this project and I have been involved in its development and implementation. I am bilingual with a broad healthcare background. Besides interpreting program to Spanish, I have also taught the classes. I have been working on diabetes prevention and control at clinical and community level for the past 10 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3201.1: We Work Together: Products and Processes of Community and Academic Partnerships