Progress 09/15/05 to 09/14/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Reporting on project period: 2005/09/15 to 2008/09/14. Diabetes screenings were conducted at community sites and events throughout the state on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Adults were screened for hemoglobin A1c, a measurement of the blood glucose level, using disposable monitors and one-time use cartridges (Metrika A1cNow/Bayer A1cNow+) and a fingerstick blood sample. A total of 58 screening events were held for the public and employee groups, at health fairs, shopping centers, grocery stores, community walks, community colleges, and worksites. Some of these venues provided the project with the opportunity to reach middle-aged, working adults who may not frequent community health events or visit a physician regularly, as well as young adults attending college. By reaching those at risk for diabetes at a younger age, perhaps they will begin to manage and control their blood sugar sooner and delay or avoid the complications associated with diabetes. For assistance at the larger screenings, we secured volunteer nurses from home health agencies and pre-nursing university students. The retail sites for some of the screenings provided incentives for customers to be screened (retail gift cards), in-kind donations of supplies, and gifts for the volunteers. Printed materials on diabetes as well as trained staff provided information for screening participants, particularly those with elevated screening results. Educational sessions on basic nutrition, basic diabetes management, and diabetes prevention were also conducted, and diabetes management and nutrition information were offered at health fairs and other informal sessions. Project staff worked collaboratively with numerous community agencies and programs to reach residents in under-served areas. We also partnered with the local area health education center and the community college to increase diabetes awareness to seniors in Hawaii County; these seniors participated in a series of five sessions on diabetes and healthy cooking. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Screening events were held primarily in Hawaii County where project staff are located, and where diabetes as an underlying and contributing cause of death per 100,000 population is highest in the state. Among the 2,050 adults who were screened for hemoglobin A1c, 695 had results at or above 6.0, which may indicate diabetes. About a third of these participants had been diagnosed with diabetes; the A1c measurement gave an indication of how well their blood glucose levels were being managed. The others were highly encouraged to seek medical care and further testing and treatment if necessary. The numerous screenings and use of the Metrika and Bayer A1cNow products allowed us to provide feedback to the manufacturer regarding problems encountered with the device. The manufacturer has since addressed and resolved the issues we had with the product.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/15/06 to 09/14/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Diabetes screenings were conducted at community sites and events on Hawaii Island and on Oahu and Kauai. Adults were screened for hemoglobin A1c, a measurement of the blood glucose level, using one-time use cartridges (Metrika A1cNow) and a fingerstick blood sample. Twenty-four (24) screening events were held for the public and employee groups, at health fairs, shopping centers, grocery stores, community walks, and worksites. Some of these venues provided the project with the opportunity to reach middle-aged, working adults who may not frequent community health events or visit a physician regularly. By reaching those at risk for diabetes at a younger age, perhaps they will begin to manage and control their blood sugar sooner and delay or avoid the complications associated with diabetes. Printed materials on diabetes as well as trained staff provided information for screening participants, particularly those with elevated screening results. Educational sessions on basic
nutrition and basic diabetes management were also conducted, and diabetes management and nutrition information were offered at health fairs and other informal sessions.
PARTICIPANTS: Project Staff: Principal Investigator/Project Director - Extension Educator; coordinated and directed project plans, activities, and reports; supervised project staff. Education Support - Registered Nurse; conducted diabetes screenings and provided information on diabetes. Student Assistant - Undergraduate student; provided clerical support. Partner Organizations: Not-for-profit community health education centers; Not-for-profit community medical center; Community college outreach program; Local supermarkets. Collaborators and Contacts: Hotels and resorts (personnel officers); State and county government offices (employees).
TARGET AUDIENCES: Adults, primarily on Hawaii Island; Those of Native Hawaiian, Filipino and Japanese ancestry; Middle-aged
Impacts
At 24 screening events this past year (22 on Hawaii Island, one each on Oahu and Kauai), 789 adults were screened for hemoglobin A1c. Among those screened, 319 (40%) had an A1c at or above 6.0, which may indicate diabetes. This compares with an average of 6.0% of the population in Hawaii (9.6% in Hawaii County) who reported having diabetes in the 2005 Hawaii Health Survey. Approximately one-third of those screened had been diagnosed with diabetes; the remaining may be at risk. These participants were strongly encouraged to seek medical care and further testing and treatment if necessary. Twelve adults with diabetes attended a 2-hour workshop that included screening for A1c, blood pressure, cholesterol and microalbumin and information on these tests as indicators of diabetes health; most of the participants reported retained knowledge and desirable behavior in the follow up assessment.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/15/05 to 09/14/06
Outputs
This past year brought about a shift in the outreach of this project. With less successful recruitment of participants for the comprehensive screening and education project sessions, more effort was put into conducting diabetes screening at community sites and events. Twenty (20) screening events were held for the public, employee groups, and college students at health fairs, shopping centers, grocery stores, community walks, and worksites (including hotels and resorts). Some of these venues provided the project with the opportunity to screen middle-aged, working adults, as compared to the mostly retired seniors who frequent community health events. By reaching those at risk for diabetes at a younger age, perhaps they will begin to manage and control their blood sugar sooner and more effectively delay or avoid the medical complications associated with diabetes. Printed materials on diabetes as well as trained staff provided information for screening participants,
particularly those with elevated screening results. For assistance at the screenings, we secured volunteer nurses from a home health care agency and pre-nursing university students. The retail sites for some of the screenings provided incentives for customers being screened, in-kind donation of supplies, and gifts for the volunteers. Project staff worked collaboratively with numerous community agencies and programs to reach residents in under-served areas. Educational sessions primarily on basic nutrition, healthy cooking, and basic diabetes management were offered to participants and the general public. Project staff also provided diabetes management and nutrition information to the general public through health fairs and informal sessions.
Impacts
At 20 events this past year, 950 adults were screened for hemoglobin A1c, a measurement of blood glucose level, using one-time use cartridges (A1cNow) and a fingerstick blood sample. Among those screened, 238 (or 25%) had an A1c at or above 6.0, which may indicate diabetes. This compares with an estimated 5.6% of the population in Hawaii with diabetes. We also conducted three follow-up screenings to measure fasting blood sugar (FBS) for those with an A1c at or above 6.0: from a total of 55 participants at these 3 sites, 15 people returned to be re-screened and 4 had an FBS above 126, which gave another indication of diabetes. These participants were strongly encouraged to seek medical care and further testing and treatment for diabetes. Project staff, including 2 registered nurses, also provided counseling on managing diabetes and other aspects of this disease. Through screening, we are detecting and perhaps preventing or delaying the onset of diabetes in Hawaii.
Publications
- Polonsky, W., Zee, J., Ah Yee, M., Crosson, M., Jackson, R. 2005. A Community-Based Program to Encourage Patients' Attention to Their Own Diabetes Care. Diab Educ. 31:691-699.
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