Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Detroit partnership: improving diabetes-related outcomes among African American and Latino adults.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine the effects of a community-based, culturally tailored diabetes lifestyle intervention on risk factors for diabetes complications among African Americans and Latinos with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

One hundred fifty-one African American and Latino adults with diabetes were recruited from 3 health care systems in Detroit, Michigan, to participate in the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Detroit Partnership diabetes lifestyle intervention. The curriculum, delivered by trained community residents, was aimed at improving dietary, physical activity, and diabetes self-care behaviors. Baseline and postintervention levels of diabetes-specific quality-of-life, diet, physical activity, self-care knowledge and behaviors, and hemoglobin A1C were assessed.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant improvements in postintervention dietary knowledge and behaviors and physical activity knowledge. A statistically significant improvement in A1C level was achieved among REACH Detroit program participants (P<.0001) compared with a group of patients with diabetes in the same health care system in which no significant changes were observed (P=.160).

CONCLUSIONS

A culturally tailored diabetes lifestyle intervention delivered by trained community residents produced significant improvement in dietary and diabetes self-care related knowledge and behaviors as well as important metabolic improvements.