Extension's Dining with Diabetes: Helping People Prevent and Manage Diabetes in Ohio and throughout the Nation

Diabetes is a common, serious and expensive disease in Ohio, the United States and around the world. The complications of untreated or undertreated diabetes are devastating and include heart, kidney, eye and nerve diseases. Extension's Dining with Diabetes (DWD) program engages participants on the topics of healthy cooking strategies, meal planning, portion control, label reading, physical activity, and goal setting. The program is delivered as a series of four face-to-face sessions with a three-month reunion led by Extension educators partnering with registered nurses, certified diabetes educators or registered dietitians. DWD has a national curricula and evaluation, providing the opportunity to demonstrate national and state-level impact on knowledge, attitudes and skills related to diabetes management.

Description

Diabetes is a common, serious and expensive disease in Ohio, the United States and around the world. The complications of untreated or undertreated diabetes are devastating and include heart, kidney, eye and nerve diseases. Studies have shown that when blood glucose is controlled, complications of diabetes are delayed or possibly prevented. Extension's Dining with Diabetes (DWD) program is designed for people with diabetes, their family members and those at risk; and it consists of education, cooking demonstrations, and taste testing. Participants are engaged on the topics of healthy cooking strategies, meal planning, portion control, label reading, physical activity, and goal setting. The program is delivered as a series of four face-to-face sessions with a three-month reunion led by Extension educators partnering with registered nurses, certified diabetes educators or registered dietatians. In addition to Extension offices, local community centers, faith-based organizations, libraries and hospitals are often used as locations in which to offer the program. State and local health departments, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and community health coalitions are active in marketing the program. DWD has been implemented in Ohio for more than a decade, and is now a national program with more than 38 states participating. Dining with Diabetes has a successful history of being implemented in Ohio and adapted by other states. The national program and evaluation provides the opportunity to demonstrate national impact and how Ohio's efforts compare with other states in terms of improving diabetes outcomes. The national program evaluation includes assessment of knowledge, attitudes and skill gains related to diabetes management. Medium-term outcomes include reported behavior change in the areas of food selection, food preparation, label reading, and physical activity. Participants who reported at three months follow-up demonstrated the ability to maintain or improve dietary change after completing the program.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Dan Remley, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition and Wellness, The Ohio State University Extension, remley.4@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Shari Gallup, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Margaret Jenkins, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Tammy Jones, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Jenny Lobb, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Susan Zies, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Marie Economos, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Chris Kendle, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Chelsea Peckny, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy; Joyce Riley, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Amy Meehan, Healthy People Program Specialist; Brian Butler, Evaluation Specialist, The Ohio State University Extension; Ingrid Adams, Associate Professor; Lisa Barlage, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension; Candace Heer, Associate Professor; Amanda Bohlen, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University Extension.

Keywords

diabetes education, meal planning, diabetes self-efficacy, Extension partnerships

Citation

Engaged Scholars, v. 6 (2018).

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/1811/84670

Collections

Engaged Scholars: Volume 6 (2018)

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