Introduction & Objective: The Do Right! Diabetes Challenge is a comprehensive lifestyle intervention program designed for African Americans diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes or Prediabetes in the Greater Cincinnati area. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by under-resourced communities, the ultimate goal of this intervention is to generate a sustainable impact on overall health and improve diabetes control.
Methods: We enrolled 22 participants for a 12-week intervention. Participants aged 18 or older with HbA1C ≥ 5.6 mg/dL, residing in the Greater Cincinnati area, were eligible for inclusion. The intervention consisted of weekly exercise sessions with a personal trainer, nutrition education classes, and life-coaching sessions. Key health metrics for diabetes, including HbA1C, total cholesterol, blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist circumference (in.) were measured before and after the intervention. Statistical analyses were conducted using a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test since all variables were matched, continuous, and nonparametric per the Shapiro-Wilk Test.
Results: Enrolled participants had a 1.47 mg/dL (p< 0.007) reduction in HbA1C levels after participating in the program compared to baseline. Additionally, there was a reduction of 12.72 mmHg (p< 0.002) in diastolic blood pressure and a reduction of 6.6 in. (p< 0.005) of waist circumference compared to baseline. However, no significant change in cholesterol levels, systolic blood pressure, or BMI was observed.
Conclusion: The Do Right! Diabetes Challenge significantly improved participant’s health measures including HbA1C, diastolic blood pressure, and waist circumference. The findings of the study underscore the potential benefit of targeted, comprehensive interventions for improving diabetes care in disadvantaged communities. In the future, a larger cohort will be enrolled to further investigate the longitudinal impact of community-based diabetes management for at-risk patient populations.
N.S. Trichy: None. R. Mahaffey Harris: None.
