THURS-023 - Bridging the Gap: Community Insights on Diabetes Self-management and Prevention Program Engagement
Thursday, April 17, 2025
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM PST
Location: Pacific I/II, 2nd Floor
Area of Responsibility: Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity Subcompetencies: 1.3.2 Determine the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, skills, and behaviors that impact the health and health literacy of the priority population(s)., 1.3.3 Identify the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors that impact the health and/or learning processes of the priority p Research or Practice: Research
Diabetes Equity Program Manager City of Houston, Houston Health Department Houston, Texas, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Assess the communication preferences and barriers impacting the health literacy and participation of high-risk populations in DSME and DPP programs, highlighting age-related and incentive-based motivators.
Analyze the social, cultural, and economic factors that influence community engagement in Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) based on insights from focus group participants.
Demonstrate how cultural perspectives on nutrition, cooking methods, and exercise habits influence health behaviors and inform the design of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) interventions.
Brief Abstract Summary: Discover key insights from focus group participants on diabetes prevention and management. Learn about their understanding of diabetes, with emerging themes around blood sugar control, self-efficacy in food choices, and exercise habits. Recognize how cultural perspectives on cooking methods and food choices shape their health behaviors and identify barriers like lack of awareness of community resources and communication gaps. Understand how age-related preferences for communication and the use of monetary incentives can drive more significant participation in DSME and DPP programs.
Detailed abstract description: This abstract draws on data from focus groups conducted by the City of Houston Health Department to explore the community’s experiences with diabetes self-management and prevention programs. Insights from 18 focus group participants revealed several critical themes that clarify barriers and motivators in the community’s engagement with DSME and DPP. Participants described their diabetes management regarding sugar level control, with discussions emphasizing the role of nutrition and exercise in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Self-efficacy around food choices emerged as a significant theme, where individuals expressed varying confidence levels in managing their diet. Cultural perspectives played an important role, particularly regarding cooking methods and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of different food choices within specific cultural contexts. Nutrition education was a consistent topic, signaling its importance across all demographics represented in the focus groups. A major barrier identified was the lack of awareness about available community resources for DSME and DPP programs, leading to their underutilization. Participants also pointed to the need for improved communication and outreach efforts, with differences in communication preferences based on age. Participants aged 50 and older preferred traditional communication methods such as flyers and phone calls. At the same time, those under 50 were more comfortable with digital media platforms, highlighting the importance of a mixed-methods approach to communication. Monetary incentives were repeatedly cited as key factors driving participation in DSME and DPP programs. Participants expressed that offering incentives, particularly those related to nutrition (such as free healthy food options), would significantly increase demand for and engagement with these programs. This data has provided valuable insights into better aligning diabetes management programs with the community's needs and preferences. The focus groups revealed clear opportunities to improve program outreach, tailor communication strategies, and implement incentive structures to enhance engagement with DSME and DPP services in high-risk populations.
