Community involvement drives diabetes education

Diabetes is a well-known disease, affecting over 8 percent of the U.S. population. However, many adults are living with type 2 diabetes and are not aware they have the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association. Symptoms like frequent urination, blurred vision and excessive thirst often don't appear until after the disease develops. Because of this, frequently a diagnosis isn't made until a serious complication - such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye damage or nerve damage - has occurred.

Educating adults about type 2 diabetes and getting them to check their risk is vital, says Kathy Rosenkranz, an American Diabetes Association volunteer and the public relations director for Wisconsin Lions Multiple-District 27-A2. One way to do this is through community events. Kathy distributes Stop Diabetes Community Leader Kits to the Lions Clubs in her district to help them reach out in their communities, encourage people to get tested for diabetes and get more people to take the Diabetes Risk Test.

The American Diabetes Association distributes the Stop Diabetes Community Leader Kits, which contain health brochures, information on how to live with diabetes, Diabetes Risk Tests and Stop Diabetes promotional materials, in an effort to get people with type 2 diabetes diagnosed and treatment started earlier. The Diabetes Risk Test asks simple questions about weight, age, family history and other risk factors for diabetes.

"The Lions Clubs found that the kit was an easy thing to hand out at their events," Rosenkranz says. "Even if we touch one person, we can make a difference."

Type 2 diabetes often affects people who are overweight, underactive and older than 45, according to the American Diabetes Association. African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and people who have a family history of the disease are also at an increased risk.

The year-round Stop Diabetes Community Outreach Toolkit was made possible as part of a three-year, $1.5 million grant to the American Diabetes Association from the WellPoint Foundation, the philanthropic arm of WellPoint, Inc. and one of the country's leading funders of programs working to improve health and wellness.

"Diabetes is affecting far too many people and providing information is essential to helping reduce the occurrence of diabetes," says Lance Chrisman, executive director of the WellPoint Foundation.

Community groups interested in working with the Association to distribute the kits and educate local residents about the risks of diabetes can visit stopdiabetes.com or call (800) DIABETES (800-342-2383).