Latino Health Access: Comparative Effectiveness of a Community-Initiated Promotor/a-Led Diabetes Self-management Education Program

Fam Community Health. 2022 Jan-Mar;45(1):34-45. doi: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000311.

Abstract

Community-initiated health interventions fill important gaps in access to health services. This study examines the effectiveness of a community-initiated health intervention to improve diabetes management in an underserved community of color using a retrospective observational study, comparing a study intervention, the Latino Health Access Diabetes Self-Management Program (LHA-DSMP), with usual care. The LHA-DSMP is a 12-session community health worker (promotor/a) intervention developed and implemented by a community-based organization in a medically underserved area. Usual care was delivered at a federally qualified health center in the same geographic area. Participants were 688 predominantly Spanish-speaking Latinx adults with type 2 diabetes. The main outcome was change in glycemic control (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c]) from baseline to follow-up. At 14-week follow-up, mean (95% CI) HbA1c decrease was -1.1 (-1.3 to -0.9; P < .001) in the LHA-DSMP cohort compared with -0.3 (-0.4 to -0.2; P < .001) in the comparison cohort. Controlling for baseline differences between cohorts, the adjusted difference-in-differences value in HbA1c was -0.6 (-0.8 to -0.3; P < .001) favoring the LHA-DSMP. A community-initiated promotor/a-led educational program for diabetes self-management is associated with clinically significant improvement in blood sugar control, superior to what was observed with usual medical care.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / therapy
  • Glycated Hemoglobin / analysis
  • Health Behavior
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Humans
  • Self-Management*

Substances

  • Glycated Hemoglobin A