Latinos Combating Diabetes

The investigators plan to test two different strategies for weight loss and diabetes prevention in the Latino community in and around Forsyth County, North Carolina. The study is designed to test the hypothesis that a lifestyle weight-loss program implemented within the Latino community will have a more beneficial and clinically meaningful impact on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), insulin metabolism, and markers of the metabolic syndrome when compared to an enhanced usual care condition. This lifestyle intervention will include group-based sessions promoting healthy eating, increased physical activity and weight loss. These sessions will be delivered by lay community members, known as Latino Health Advisors (LHAs). The enhanced usual care group will consist of individual counseling with are registered dietitian and uses existing community resources to assist participants in making healthier lifestyle choices.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major health concern in the United States, accounting for 90 to 95% of the more than 25 million diagnosed cases of diabetes in 2010. Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by the diabetes epidemic, specifically African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. Although the cumulative evidence suggests that lifestyle interventions to prevent diabetes can be implemented across a variety of settings with diverse personnel, numerous barriers to widespread dissemination in minority populations still exist. Latinos Combatiendo la Diabetes (La Comunidad) is a 225-participant randomized trial designed to test the hypothesis that a community-based lifestyle weight-loss intervention implemented within the accountability and structure of existing Latino communities will have a more beneficial and clinically meaningful impact on HbA1c, insulin metabolism, and markers of the metabolic syndrome when compared to an enhanced usual care condition. An economic evaluation will also be conducted to determine costs and cost-effectiveness. One trial arm will consist of a group-based intensive lifestyle intervention promoting healthy eating, increased physical activity and modest, yet achievable (5-7%) weight loss delivered in an early 6-month intensive phase followed by an 18-month maintenance phase. Latino Health Advisors (LHAs) will be utilized in the intensive intervention arm. The control arm will consist of an individual educational intervention that incorporates existing community resources that are available to assist residents in making healthier lifestyle choices.