Spanish Diabetes Self-Management Program

Type II diabetes is a growing health concern for Latinos who not only have a higher incidence of the disease but also suffer great morbidity. At the same time due to poverty, language, low literacy and lack of continuity of care, this population is largely excluded from current diabetes education programs. To assist with this problem we propose to evaluate 1) a community-based, peer-led Spanish Diabetes Self-Management Program that is culturally appropriate and acceptable based on self-efficacy theory, and 2) the effects of long-term, self-tailored educational reinforcement offered by means of automated telephone disease management messages. Should this research be successful it will provide an evidenced based public health diabetes education model for use with Latino populations throughout the United States.