1. Delivering Health: An Integrated Approach to Address Diabetes in the Context of Food Insecurity.
- Author
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Faitak, Bonnie, Langston, Krista, Long, Chris, and Bounds, Kelsey
- Subjects
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BEHAVIOR modification , *FOOD security , *DISEASE management , *CONFERENCES & conventions , *TYPE 2 diabetes , *HEALTH behavior , *HEALTH promotion - Abstract
People with food insecurity experience type 2 diabetes (T2D) at higher rates than others while lacking the resources to manage the disease. In order to improve the health of food-insecure individuals with T2D, interventions must address nutrition at multiple levels. Delivering Health utilizes healthy eating and active living lifestyle programs to address food insecurity and diabetes management for food-insecure people with T2D. This program is designed to help Arkansans with T2D and food insecurity. The program includes interventions at three levels: 12 weeks home delivery of T2D-appropriate food boxes with adapted education materials to food-insecure individuals with T2D; dissemination of education materials (diabetes-friendly toolkit and training) that support the nutrition of T2D clients to food pantries in Arkansas; and development of an interprofessional health education (IPE) course to increase food security assessments and dietary interventions for T2D patients. Biometric data, measures of food security, food pantry utilization, health history, medications, and Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities are gathered from individuals; survey data is collected from food pantries and interprofessional health students. One hundred and one food-insecure people with T2D have been recruited, 92 pantries have received a diabetes-friendly toolkit and training, and 241 health profession students have completed an IPE course. Pantry surveys show that trainings have increased the ability of most food pantries to improve client health, that over half have increased the use of diabetes-related components, but that few had implemented operational changes. Seventy-six percent of students reported this was a valuable educational activity. Real-world constraints often limit the ability of food pantries to support clients with T2D, but most are willing to implement changes when given support; the availability of healthy food is often limited, so some pantries have requested help procuring food. The IPE module is effective in training future healthcare professionals about how to treat patients with both T2D and food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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