Preventing Type 2 Diabetes with Health Literacy

Health care access

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Los Angeles County faces a critical type 2 diabetes crisis. Public Health data reveals over 40% of adults have prediabetes or undiagnosed diabetes, a condition elevating risks of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and vision loss. This burden disproportionately affects LA's BIPOC communities, where limited health literacy, especially in Spanish, impedes preventative action. The consequences are significant: beyond individual suffering, diabetes imposes a substantial financial strain on the healthcare system. Nationally, the costs are in the billions annually ($412.9 billion in 2022). In the US, approximately 130,000 amputations occur yearly due to type 2 diabetes. Our program directly addresses this by empowering the community with the health literacy needed for informed nutrition, exercise, and preventative choices, aiming to reduce these devastating health and economic impacts within Los Angeles County.

Our program directly addresses the identified crisis by empowering indiviuals to manage their health. Our culturally relevant, 3-month repeating program (participants can repeat as needed) is delivered via an individual participant portal.
This comprehensive initiative includes:
Personalized Nutrition: Plans with healthy recipes.
Educational Video Series: short (5-7 min, English/Spanish) videos covering vital topics like glucose control, healthy eating, exercise, and sugar's health impact.
Interactive Workshops: Bi-monthly patient advocacy workshops, facilitated by our trained Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs).
Supportive Group Sessions: Bi-monthly group discussions led by Spanish and English speaking CHWs and experts, fostering peer-to-peer sharing and ongoing support networks. Where relevant, CHWs also provide 1-on-1 coaching. Our charity's ability to receive Medi-Cal reimbursement for these services ensures broader access and program sustainability.
Participants receive weekly program emails/texts with new videos and educational modules (nutrition, exercise, stress), coupled with survey questions to encourage engagement. To further motivate participation, we incorporate a weekly engagement leaderboard, completion badges for videos, and health tracking bingo. This holistic approach equips individuals with practical knowledge and tools, enabling them to make informed choices and proactively prevent type 2 diabetes within their communities.

If our "Preventing Type 2 Diabetes with Health Literacy" program is successful, LA County will see a healthier, more empowered BIPOC community. Our goal is to directly empower 21,000 individuals and indirectly impact 63,000 more through a ripple effect. Participants will gain crucial knowledge and skills in nutrition and diabetes prevention, leading to a measurable decrease in new diagnoses. This directly reduces the substantial $6 billion annual direct medical cost of type 2 diabetes in LA County, alleviating the burden on healthcare systems and Medi-Cal. Beyond financial savings, we anticipate a reduction in severe complications like amputations (currently ~130,000 annually in the US), improving individual well-being and reducing indirect costs from lost productivity. Culturally relevant peer support will foster sustainable healthy habits, where empowered individuals inspire their families and friends, collectively transforming community health.