A Health Literacy Approach to Involve Family and Friends in Diabetes Prevention

A Health Literacy Approach to Involve Family and Friends in Diabetes Prevention

Rebecca Ledsky

Family Health International 360

Lisa Tensuan

Family Health International 360

Danielle Stahl

Washington County Health Department

Angela Deal, CHES

Charles County Department of Health

Judy Schroeder

Program Participant

Mike Schroeder

Program Participant

Many diabetes prevention programs focus on individual behavior changes in diet and physical activity. However, shopping for and preparing food, eating and physical activity are often social activities we do with family and friends who influence our thoughts, information and decisions that can affect our diabetes risk. FHI360, a non-profit human development organization, and the UMD Center for Health Literacy, teamed up to apply a health literacy lens and create a "family and friends" approach to the standard National Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Change Program. This panel includes project staff, a lifestyle change coach, and a program participant to discuss their experiences and how a family-friend approach can make lifestyle change programs more accessible to more people at risk for diabetes.

• Name the health literacy issues in a standard Lifestyle Change program. 
• Describe at least 2 ways to bring health literacy insights to Lifestyle Change programs
• Assess how a family-friend approach can be applied to chronic disease prevention programs