SERVICES

CLICK HERE FOR Diabetes Screening Locations

Click here to download a Diabetes Brochure

D.I.P.
(Diabetes Intervention Project)

The goal of the project is to identify high risk African Americans who have not been diagnosed with diabetes, educate them about the need for screening and refer them for medical assessment. BEBASHI’S intent is to encourage behavior change and empower people to make healthy lifestyle decisions that will not put them at risk for diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease caused by above normal levels of glucose. There are three major types of diabetes, Type I, also often referred to juvenile-onset diabetes; Type II, often called adult-onset diabetes; and gestational diabetes, which affects pregnant women.

While Type I and gestational diabetes account for only 5-10% and 2-5% of all diabetes cases respectively, Type II may account for as many as 90-95 % of all cases. Although Type II diabetes that has the most devastating impact on African Americans, it can be delayed or prevented in high risk adults through lifestyle changes such as a better diet, more exercise (Centers for Disease Control).

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) program called the Diabetes Prevention Program, released the results of its findings in a 2001 report. It demonstrated that individuals at high risk for diabetes reduced their risk of developing Type II diabetes by 58% over three years through with an average of 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily and an improved diet (National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse-NDIC).

There are some individuals who have higher levels of blood glucose, but not high enough for them to receive a diagnosis of diabetes. These individuals are considered to have “pre-diabetes or, impaired glucose tolerance.” People with pre-diabetes have a much greater risk of developing Type II diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are also more likely to experience other health problems such as stroke and heart disease (CDC).

Almost 3 million African Americans, including 13% of all African Americans aged 20 or over have diabetes. African Americans are twice as likely to have diabetes as whites of a similar age. Diabetes is the 5th leading cause of death or African Americans between the ages of 45-64 and the 3rd leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older. African American death rates from diabetes are 27% higher than for whites (NDIC).

African Americans also experience higher rates of diabetes-related physical complications than whites. For example, the frequency of diabetic retinopathy, a deterioration of the blood vessels in the eye, is 40-50 percent higher in African Americans than in whites. Diabetic African Americans also experience higher rates of kidney failure and are much more likely to undergo lower extremity amputations than whites or Hispanics.