From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Publications and Research section http://www.rwjf.org/pr/digest.jsp?id=8256&topicid=1180

Culturally Sensitive Health Education Improves Diabetes Outcomes, Study Suggests
A study published recently in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews suggests that culturally sensitive diabetes education can help to improve short-term clinical outcomes for minority patients with type 2 diabetes, Reuters reports. Led by a team of researchers from Cardiff University in Wales, the study is based on an analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of culturally tailored diabetes education against standard diabetes care. The studies included 1,603 minority patients ages 16 and older from middle- or high-income nations. According to the analysis, patients receiving culturally sensitive diabetes education reported clinically significant improvements in glycemic control at three months and six months, while patients in the standard care group reported no change. In addition, participants in the culturally tailored intervention group displayed increased understanding of diabetes and healthy lifestyles for a full year following the intervention. However, the researchers note that there was no improvement in other clinical measures, including cholesterol, blood pressure or weight, or in quality of life among patients in either group. Based on the analysis, the researchers conclude that culturally appropriate health education more effectively improves short-term clinical diabetes outcomes, as well as patients’ knowledge of the disease, than standard care. Although the researchers note that further evaluations are needed to determine the long-term effects of such interventions, they state that the findings offer evidence that health education programs are more effective when they consider religious, social and cultural preferences and values (Hendry, Reuters, 7/21/08; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 7/16/08
http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD006424/frame.html )

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 at 12:52 pm and is filed under Articles, Minority Health Concerns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.