Sophe Sustainable Solutions for Health Equity: Chapters' Implementation and Dissemination of Culturally Relevant Community-Based Diabetes Programs

Background: Minorities have an increased risk of experiencing communication gaps when they interact with health information that is not attuned to their cultural beliefs and literacy levels.  Because of the link between clear communication and health outcomes, these populations, in particularly American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) and African American/Blacks (AA/B), are more likely to experience limited access to health care and resources than whites.  Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) data show that community engagement and empowerment are essential to changing individual behavior linked to health disparities, as well as changing systems/policies. SOPHE builds on the REACH model, in collaboration with key REACH Centers of Excellence for Elimination of Health Disparities (CEEDs) programs, SOPHE Chapters and community-based organizations (CBOs) to bridge health communication gaps to reduce and prevent diabetes among AI/AN and AA/B populations. 

Program background: SOPHE piloted a project with two funded chapters, Georgia and Northern California SOPHE Chapter, and their partners to conduct a strategic, sustainable initiative to address diabetes prevention and management among rural African American community in Southeast Georgia and among urban American Indian/Alaska Native community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Georgia SOPHE’s efforts are focused on partnering with CBOs to promote physical activity among rural AA/B through photovoice, diabetes 101 training, and a state fair passport for health intervention. Northern California’s efforts are focused on partnering with Intertribal Friendship House to implement a community-based approach to change food policy within San Francisco Bay Area Native American community PowWow setting. 

Evaluation Methods and Results:  SOPHE provided targeted training and technical assistance in two specific areas: 1) dissemination of evidenced-based social marketing and communication strategies to support chapters’ efforts in creating policy, systems, and environmental changes in their communities, and 2) capacity-building to enhance the chapter’s capacity in leadership development, program planning, evaluation, health literacy, cultural competency, and coalition-building through SOPHE’s Center for Online Resources & Education (CORE). CORE is a one-stop portal for eLearning that covers many vital aspects of the field of health education. SOPHE developed webinars, online courses, webcasts, self-studies and publications for chapters and community partners in CORE.  Social media efforts focused on organizational policy change and conference sessions to address health disparities. SOPHE developed and implemented project reports for the Georgia and Northern California SOPHE Chapters and non funded chapters to assess the effectiveness of technical assistance efforts to build capacity, establish partnerships, implement evidenced-based programs, encourage policy, systems, and environmental changes strategies, evaluate and disseminate outcomes.  SOPHE conducted focus groups with the Georgia and Northern California SOPHE Chapters and non-funded chapters focused on dissemination of information and sustainability efforts. 

Conclusions:  SOPHE demonstrated the feasibility of chapters partnering with CBOs and universities to implement and disseminate culturally relevant initiatives to effectively produce positive diabetes promotion and education in communities.

Implications for research and/or practice:  SOPHE chapters' partnerships and utilization of the REACH model to implement evidence-based programs and disseminate culturally relevant diabetes initiatives may be adapted by CBOs.