Community-Based, Culturally Tailored Diabetes Education Program Helps Low-Income South Korean Immigrants Improve Self-Management Behaviors, Disease Control, and Other Health Markers

August 14, 2013

The University of California, Irvine, used a bilingual nurse practitioner to deliver a low-cost, community-based, culturally tailored education program to low-income, predominantly elderly Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes, with the goal of improving their ability to self-manage the disease. The nurse practitioner led two educational sessions (conducted in Korean) to review the basic pathology of diabetes, common complications and medical treatments, and culturally tailored self-management strategies. The program improved self-management behaviors and some of the key biological outcomes of diabetes: better blood glucose control, higher levels of "good" cholesterol, and reductions in waist circumference. Most participants completed all aspects of the program and reported high levels of satisfaction with it.

Website: