The En Balance Education Program Improves health Determinants in Hispanic Patients with Type 2 Diabetes through Changes in Dietary Choices and Physical Activity

Objective: To determine the role of changes in dietary choices and physical

exercise promoted by the En Balance program on measures of health in

Hispanics with type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Methodology: Thirty-four participants completed the pre and post Family

Habits Frequency Questionnaire at baseline and after three months follow-up.

Participants were Spanish-speaking Hispanics with type 2 diabetes aged 37-69

years. The changes in dietary behaviors and physical activity were determined.

The body composition measurements by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry

(DXA), blood glucose, hemoglobin A1C (A1C) and lipid profile were reported.

Results: Participants showed a broad range of significant improvement

in both dietary habits and physical exercise. For instance, participants read

food labels significantly more often after the 3 months compared with baseline

(P=0.0002). Also, there was a significant increase of physical activity among

females such as doing 30 minutes of physical activity (P=0.04) and increasing

in walking (P=0.01).Anthropometric measurements such aswaist circumference

and DXA total fat decreased significantly after the educational program by (P=

0.015) and (P= 0.0005), respectively. There was a significant decrease inA1C

from 7.87 ± 2.01 (63±22mmol/mol IFCC (the International Federation of Clinical

Chemistry)) to 7.08 ± 1.67 (54±18 mmol/mol IFCC) (P<0.001; effect size=

-0.43). Both HDL/cholesterol ratio (P=0.003) and HDL (P= 0.0023) improved

after the educational program.

Conclusion: The culturally sensitive educational program among Hispanics

with type 2 diabetes showed significant positive changes in participants’

dietary behaviors and physical activities, associated with the improved health

determinants of anthropometric changes, glycemic control, and lipid profiles.