A One-of-a-Kind Diabetes Program
Awareness and Education Campaign Aimed at Asian Community

With one of the largest Asian populations in the state, the Harris County Hospital District has received an additional $10,000 this year to continue the state’s only Asian outreach program aimed at preventing and controlling diabetes in this growing Houston population.

The hospital district first began the Asian outreach effort in 1998 as part of a five-year program funded by the Texas Department of Health’s Diabetes Awareness and Education in the Community, or DAEC, project. Each year the program receives $100,000.

The hospital district’s main task is to assess the incidence of diabetes among people of Asian descent, develop appropriate cultural and linguistic educational materials, and increase diabetes awareness and help the community prevent and control the disease. The target population is about 5, 000 adult residents of Chinese and Vietnamese descent living primarily in southwest Harris County.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death among Americans and accounts for $98 billion in direct and indirect medical costs and lost productivity each year. An estimated 16 million have diabetes; about one-third of the cases are undiagnosed. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, amputations, blindness among adults 20 to 75, heart attacks and strokes.

Angelia Guinara, DAEC coordinator for the hospital district program, said individuals of Asian descent have been very receptive to the concentrated awareness and educational effort.

"Diabetes affects everyone and every community," she said. "The manner of educating and increasing awareness is what people of Asian descent really appreciate."

Some of the tools used to help this diverse and growing community include videos, diabetes and nutrition handbooks and classes.

In addition, eight health information kiosks, in both Chinese and Vietnamese, have been placed throughout greater Houston. The kiosks feature updated health and wellness information about diabetes and other health- related topics.

A Vietnamese-language video also is available to promote wellness and increase awareness among undiagnosed and recently diagnosed diabetics by providing information about early-warning signs and symptoms of diabetes, and the program staff offers chronic disease self-management classes through a six-week program to educate people on managing their disease.

For more information about DAEC or to obtain DAEC educational materials, contact Angelia Guinara by phone at (713) 566-6588 or by e-mail at: angelia_guinara@hchd.tmc.edu.

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