Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Screening For Diabetes In An African American Community: The Project Direct Experience

Linda A. Treiber

AIM: To report the results of a community-based screening program associated with Project DIRECT, a multi-year diabetes mellitus prevention and control project targeting African-American residents of southeast Raleigh, NC. METHODS: Between December 1996 and June 1999, 183 screening events took place in community settings.Screening was by capillary glucose concentration. Participants with a positive screen were referred for confirmatory testing and physician follow-up. MAIN RESULTS: Risk factors for diabetes were prevalent, including ethnic minority race (88.2%), obesity (45.6%), and family history of diabetes (41.7%). In all, 197 persons had an elevated screening result; the prevalence of diabetes in the screened population …