Impact of diabetes peer counseling on glycosylated hemoglobin among Latinos enrolled in the DIALBEST Trial: Preliminary results

Abstract

The ongoing Diabetes among Latinos Best Practices Trial (DIALBEST) has randomly assigned Latinos with type 2 diabetes to the standard of clinical care or the intervention group that receives home visits from peer counselors. Intervention group participants receive one weekly visit during the first month, biweekly during months 2 and 3, and monthly thereafter until month 12. Peer counselors teach culturally tailored nutrition, physical activity and adherence with glucose monitoring, medications and medical appointments. We report on 63 subjects with HbA1c data available at baseline and 3 months. The proportion of females in the intervention (n=30) and control groups (n=33) was 80.0% and 84.8%, respectively. The corresponding HbA1c values were 10.2 ± 1.8 % vs. 10.1 ± 1.8 %, and for glucose 11.3 ± 4.4 mmol/l vs. 11.6 ± 5.1 mmol/l. Baseline BMI was also equivalent in the intervention and control groups (34.7 ± 8.6 vs. 35.4 ± 8.6). As expected, there was a significant correlation between HbA1c and plasma glucose both at baseline (r=0.515, p<0.001) and 3 months (r=0.685, p<0.001). The intervention group had a greater improvement in HbA1c at 3 months compared to the control group (−1.2 ± 1.8 % vs. −0.5 ± 1.6 %, 1‐tailed p=0.035). Thus far the DIALBEST intervention is having a short term positive impact on glycemic control. Funded by The Connecticut Latino Health Disparities NIH EXPORT Center (NIH‐NCMHD grant # P20MD001765).