Chicago Community-Based Programs

The overall goal of this research program is the development, evaluation, and dissemination of methods for reducing disparities in diabetes and related co-morbidities among urban African Americans and Hispanics. The specific aims are as follows:

1. Identify barriers to quality diabetes care faced by African Americans and Hispanics in an urban community;
2. Develop and implement community-based programs designed to minimize the impact of identified barriers;
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of community-based programs in reducing disparities and enhancing health outcomes
4. Disseminate “lessons learned” from implementation and evaluation of community-based programs.

Significant disparities in health outcomes exist for African Americans and Hispanics with type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of diagnosed type 2 diabetes among 45-74 year-old African Americans and Hispanics is twice as high as it is among non-Hispanic whites (Harris et al., 1998). Moreover, African Americans and Hispanics tend to suffer more severe complications (Haffner et al., 1988; Harris, 1990). Barriers to prevention and management of diabetes for African Americans and Hispanics exist at a number of levels – services are often not available or accessible, providers’ beliefs and attitudes can limit care, and patients’ beliefs and attitudes can interfere with their self-management. Programs that are community-based have the potential for overcoming many of these barriers encountered at medical clinic settings.