Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 13, Issue 5, 2011, Pages 906-913

Pilot of a diabetes primary prevention program in a hard-to-reach, low-income, immigrant Hispanic population (Article)

Millard A.V. , Graham M.A.* , Wang X. , Mier N. , Sánchez E.R. , Flores I. , Elizondo-Fournier M.
  • a School of Rural Public Health-McAllen Campus, Texas A and M Health Science Center, McAllen, TX, United States
  • b Department of Psychology and Anthropology, Univerity of Texas-Pan American, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539, United States
  • c Department of Mathematics, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX, United States
  • d School of Rural Public Health-McAllen Campus, Texas A and M Health Science Center, McAllen, TX, United States
  • e International Valley Health Institute, Edinburg, TX, United States
  • f International Valley Health Institute, Edinburg, TX, United States
  • g Texas Department of State Health Services, Office of Border Health, Harlingen, TX, United States

Abstract

An immigrant Hispanic population in the Texas-Mexico border region urgently requested assistance with diabetes. The project team implemented an exploratory pilot intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes in the general population through enhanced nutrition and physical activity. Social networks in low-income rural areas (colonias) participated in an adaptation of the Diabetes Empowerment Education Program. The program had a pre-post-test design with a comparison group. The intervention had a small but significant effect in lowering body mass index, the biological outcome variable. The process evaluation shows that the participants valued the pilot project and found it culturally and economically appropriate. This program was the first primary prevention program in diabetes to address a general population successfully. The study shows that low-income, rural Mexican American families will take ownership of a program that is participatory and tailored to their culture and economic situation. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010.

Author Keywords

Hispanic Diabetes Empowerment Education Program BMI Nutrition education physical activity

Index Keywords

poverty non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 human middle aged ethnology Mexico interview Young Adult Humans Interviews as Topic male Emigrants and Immigrants female pilot study primary prevention Article adult migration Pilot Projects
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-81355141942&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-010-9412-y&partnerID=40&md5=f5b45e4b81565ffc6378d8fb147140e2
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-010-9412-y
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 16
Original Language: English