All One Community (A1C) - The All One Community (A1C) Program is a family-centered type 2 diabetes education program that aims to improve the health and well-being of South Asian individuals residing in the Chicago metropolitan area through diabetes education, family goal setting, and improving family support. Nearly 260,000 South Asians reside in the Chicago metropolitan area, in which diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death for South Asian men and women. Adjusted prevalence of diabetes among this population may be as high 23%, but approximately 1 in 2 Asian Americans don not know they have diabetes. Two-thirds of this population being foreign-born, barriers persist that limit access to health resources and services, such as limited English proficiency, health literacy, and misinformation. To address these disparities in diabetes prevalence and access to care, Asian Health Coalition (AHC) will collaborate with local South Asian community-serving organizations and health centers to deliver the 6-month, culturally and linguistically tailored A1C program. This program is designed to engage entire families in health education and goal setting. The family unit is highly valued in South Asian culture; therefore, to enhance the efficacy of the program, trained community health workers (CHWs) will deliver the educational content to entire families with a member 12 years or older with type 2 diabetes. The A1C program covers basic information and goals for type 2 diabetes, healthy eating, exercise, stress, and family support, including individualized support for families to develop health goals together. The program not only seeks to support diabetics with self-management of their diabetes, but also the overall health of family members. Each month, enrolled participants will attend a group education session with a follow-up activity approximately 2 weeks later, such as a home visit with the CHW, a phone call, check-in or grocery tour. Participants will complete assessments
periodically throughout the program, including biometrics screenings at baseline, after the final program session, and approximately 9 months after the start of the program. These biometrics screenings will provide quantitative data about participants' change in hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, BMI, and total cholesterol. Survey assessments will utilize validated measures to assess knowledge of diabetes, diabetes self-management, family support, and self-efficacy for diabetes management. Data collected will be analyzed to understand the effect of the A1C program on participants for quality improvement. Results will be shared with the community and other stake holders through webinars, presentations, and a final report.
