Increasing Healthy Behaviors to Reduce Diabetes Risk Among Public Housing Residents

A study funded by INQRI and conducted by a research team led by Robin Whittemore and Alana Rosenberg, indicates that nurses can play an important role in helping public housing residents reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by changing behaviors.

The team tested a diabetes prevention program (DPP) implemented by home health care nurses in four public housing communities in the rural Northeast.  The study included a control group of residents who received enhanced standard care and an intervention group who received the DPP program.

The intervention group showed significant improvement in healthy eating and physical activity, and reduced stress and depressive symptoms, as well as triglyceride levels.

This study, and a related one also conducted by Whittemore and Rosenberg, underscore the need for culturally relevant health programs for public housing residents.

Read the brief on the study.

Webinar on Improving Communications in Diabetes – Innovative Approaches

Research evidence shows that clinical outcomes for chronic illnesses such as diabetes can be improved with effective communication, which is also vital to closing care gaps for racial/ethnic disparities. AcademyHealth is hosting a webinar to highlight communication interventions and the need for cross cultural communication competency in diabetes care on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST. More information on the webinar is available by clicking here and registration is available here.

Objectives for the webinar include recognizing the role of shared decision making in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, and looking at how data on outcomes associated with shared decision making can improve care delivery. The webinar is free for AcademyHealth members and $250 for non-members.

An INQRI study published earlier this year in the Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, and conducted by a research team led by Robin Whittemore and Alana Rosenberg, underscored the difficulties of ensuring adherence to diabetes prevention programs and highlighted the need for culturally relevant programs for public housing residents, including behavioral and psychosocial support.

Nurse-Led Program Helps Improve Diabetes Parameters

A study presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and reported on in MedPage Today showed that a Diabetes Self-Management Training program administered by certified diabetes nurse educators helped patients lower their fasting home glucose levels and reduce their glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The latter at higher levels than a control group who received only diabetes titration instruction.

The program was administered in a community outpatient clinic. Eighty-four patients received titration instruction and of those 45 also received Diabetes Self-Management Training. While both experienced improvements in the key parameters, those who had the second intervention had an additional 1.92 percent decrease in HbA1c levels.

An INQRI study recently published in the Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice and conducted by a research team led by Robin Whittemore and Alana Rosenberg underscored the difficulties of ensuring adherence to diabetes prevention programs. The study highlights the need for culturally relevant programs for public housing residents that include behavioral and psychosocial support.