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November Partner Spotlight
Oct 29, 2011
Texas-based Día de la Mujer Latina Adapts NDEP’s Road to Health Toolkit for Bilingual Health Fiesta Training Program
Día de la Mujer Latina (Day of the Latin American Woman) (DML) is a nonprofit, community-based grassroots organization approved by the state of Texas as a sponsored certification training program for promotores (community health workers). DML’s mission is to address the health disparities in the Latino population through its innovative, culturally specific “health fiesta” model. The organization’s strength lies in its coalition and partnership building efforts with community-based organizations, local businesses, regional and national government entities, health care providers, and key stakeholders.
The DML Health Fiesta is designed to bring preventive health care services directly to the community. The bilingual training program consists of eight core competencies. As part of its knowledge-based skills portion, the DML Health Fiesta incorporates chronic disease prevention, using NDEP’s The Road to Health Toolkit as a roadmap.
The goals of the training include teaching participants how to:
- Educate communities about the relationship between cancer, diet, nutrition, fitness, and obesity
- Promote cultural understanding in addressing diet, nutrition, and fitness
- Learn creative methods of communication to help clients to understand risk factors
- Develop and incorporate a culturally relevant nutrition and fitness plan into patients’ lives
During the health fiestas held across Texas in 2011, DML’s promotores were trained by Yajaira Lara, a certified diabetes instructor who also has diabetes. Participants took turns conducting diabetes and hypertension screening using their monitors. Many promotores participated in the educational workshops, while others facilitated the screenings and motivated folks to do a Zumba workout.
As a result of the 2011 health fiestas, 161 promotores were trained using the curriculum in The Road to Health Toolkit, and 52 have gone on to address obesity and conduct screenings (using blood pressure and glucose monitors) in their churches.
For more information, contact Venus Ginés at diadelamujerlatina@gmail.com.
National Diabetes Month
Oct 25, 2011
NDEP Has Resources to Help People Make a Plan for National Diabetes Month and World Diabetes Day this November
In support of National Diabetes Month and World Diabetes Day (November 14) this November, the NDEP is promoting the theme “Make a Plan to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications.” This theme reinforces the need to help people take action and make a plan to achieve lifestyle changes—whether they have diabetes or are at risk for the disease. Many people know what to do to improve their health; it’s figuring out how to do it and fitting it into their daily routine that’s challenging.
It’s Not too Late to Get Involved!
To help partners spread the word, the NDEP has developed National Diabetes Month campaign materials—available in English and Spanish—to help you incorporate NDEP messages and materials in your community outreach efforts. Materials can be adapted for community-based presentations; support groups; office-based or waiting room outreach; and large scale or regional awareness, screening, or media events. Use these NDEP resources to get started today.
Social Media Promotions: Easy, Budget-friendly Ways to Spread the Word!
If you’re looking for low-budget, easy ways to get involved this November, check out NDEP’s social media promotions in support of National Diabetes Month.
Interview with Dr. Griffin Rodgers, Director of NIDDK
Listen to this National Diabetes Month NIH Audio Report, where Dr. Rodgers stresses the importance of setting goals and making a plan.
October Partner Spotlight
Sep 26, 2011
National Latina Health Network Uses Web Channels to Promote NDEP’s National Diabetes Month
The National Latina Health Network (NLHN) promoted NDEP’s messages and materials across a variety of web platforms during National Diabetes Month in November 2010. NLHN worked with popular blogger SoLatina to promote awareness of gestational diabetes (GDM). Working together, NLHN and SoLatina developed an article entitled New Moms Can Prevent Diabetes by Keeping up Healthy Habits. The article encouraged Latina women with a history of GDM to get screened for diabetes and to reach and maintain a healthy weight by being active and making healthy food choices. SoLatina helped spread the word by posting the article on their Facebook page and engaged followers by encouraging them to post comments on the article and share their own experiences with gestational diabetes. By partnering with SoLatina, NLHN was able to spread the word about gestational diabetes to more than 33,000 Latina mothers.
NLHN also posted a link to NDEP on their Twitter page and promoted NDEP’s The Road to Health Toolkit Training Video on their YouTube page.
This year, to help partners follow in NLHN’s footsteps and shine a spotlight on diabetes during National Diabetes Month, NDEP has three easy ways for you to get involved:
- Link to the NDEP website: Post NDEP web buttons to your organization’s website and encourage your partners to do the same. Just like NLHN, you can help spread NDEP’s messages simply by linking back to the NDEP website!
- Share our articles: Post one of NDEP’s many ready-to-use articles on your website or in your organization’s newsletter. Follow NLHN’s example and work with a blogger or local media to reach your target audience.
- Engage using social media: Like and comment on Facebook posts, retweet NDEP messages, and share NDEP videos. Engage your social media followers as NLHN and SoLatina did by encouraging them to comment on your National Diabetes Month posts.
For more information about these promotions, contact Marisol Morales at Marisol.morales@nlhn.net.
“Heading Back to School with Diabetes” Radio Media Tour
Sep 12, 2011
“Heading Back to School with Diabetes” Radio Media Tour
It’s back-to-school season and former NDEP Chair Francine Kaufman, M.D., participated in a national radio media tour to raise awareness about the importance of managing diabetes in youth, particularly in the school setting, and as youth transition from pediatric to adult health care. Listen to an excerpt from one of Dr. Kaufman’s interviews.
NIDDK Director Offers Tips to Parents of Children with Diabetes
Sep 03, 2011
NIDDK Director Offers Tips to Parents of Children with Diabetes
In an interview with NIH Radio, Dr. Griffin Rodgers, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), provided advice to all parents, targeted especially to those of children with diabetes, on how to get a healthy start to the school year and continue healthy habits year-round.
During the interview, Dr. Rodgers provided the following advice:
- Teach your child healthy eating habits and encourage physical activity.
- Know if your child’s weight and height are in a healthy range.
- Talk to your health care provider if you think your child may be overweight or obese.
- Being overweight or obese may increase the risk of serious health problems, such as diabetes.
- Prepare school nurses, teachers, and other school personnel to help your child with diabetes manage their disease and respond to emergencies.
