Project Summary
Pre-diabetes is becoming rampant in the US population, particularly in the Latino community. Latinos in Idaho bear a disproportionate burden of pre-diabetes. Management of pre-diabetes requires knowledge, motivation, and the will to engage in health-promoting activities to prevent the onset of diabetes and related complications.
Self-management is key to effective pre-diabetes care. Researchers have identified several approaches to remedy pre-diabetic state for optimal health. Pre-diabetic patients must choose either lifestyle or clinical interventions to prevent diabetes. Comparing effective methods of pre-diabetic education, support, and health-promoting activities in rural Latino communities is necessary to stem the diabetes epidemic for this population.
Funded by the Mexican Consulate, the Ventanilla de Salud (VDS; “The Health Window”) is a national program designed to improve the health of Mexicans living in the United States. It provides information, counseling, and referrals to health services in local communities and increases health literacy related to early prevention.
This project’s goal is to build a partnership with the Idaho VDS to engage providers, researchers, and Latinos in developing a Latino-centered pre-diabetes comparative effectiveness project that will enhance pre-diabetic Latinos’ ability to make informed choices to improve their pre-diabetic state.
We will meet these goals by forming a steering committee composed of the Idaho VDS; Latino pre-diabetics, their families, and their caregivers; and providers dedicated to improving the health of pre-diabetics. We will conduct roundtables, informational workshops, and focus groups designed to foster relationships and infrastructure in order to define research priorities and questions.