Diabetes is a chronic disease that impacts the body’s ability to create or properly use insulin, resulting in negative health outcomes. The primary diabetes diagnoses include Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by low insulin levels in the body, whereas Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance in the body.

Prevalence

  • Approximately 37.3 million Americans or 1 in 10 people have diabetes.
  • 1 out of 5 people are not aware they have diabetes and therefore go undiagnosed for a significant amount of time.
  • Approximately 96 million Americans or 1 in 3 people have prediabetes.
  • Over 80% of adults are not aware they have prediabetes and remain undetected.
  • Hispanic and Non-Hispanic black individuals are at disproportionate risk for developing diabetes over their lifetime, with collective rates of 24.6% diagnosed.
  • 1 out of 4 Americans aged 12 to 18 years in the United States has prediabetes, placing younger generations at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the future.
  • Americans spend approximately $327 billion a year on diabetes-related medical expenses, as well as lost work and wages.

Fortunately, research indicates that participation in a diabetes prevention program focused on promoting nutrition and healthy behaviors — including smoking cessation and physical activity — can lead to a 5 to 7 percent reduction in a patient’s weight. This level of weight loss can be enough to prevent the progression of the disease. Improving diabetes management through increased use of evidence-based prevention programs could help millions of patients avoid diabetes and combat the national epidemic.

Key Findings from Grant-Funded Projects

Innovative Approaches to Achieving Health Equity in Diabetes Prevention

The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a year-long structured, lifestyle change program, focused on healthy eating and physical activity, that can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. ACPM's participation in the five-year cooperative agreement with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, has directly impacted communities and disproportionately affected populations surrounding three health care facilities within the United States, specifically providing care and referrals to Black and Hispanic women with prediabetes into the National DPP. Three health systems were identified and funded over multiple years to develop innovative approaches to achieve equity in diabetes prevention. The project has also yielded strong partnerships and collaboration with the American Medical Association (AMA) and Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) to provide innovative strategies to diabetes prevention.

Click here to learn more about the best practice models outlined by our grantees including the Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NEVHC), the Parkland Health System, the Baylor Scott and White Health, University of Washington Valley Medical Center and the YMCA of Greater Seattle.

Building Capacity of the Public Health Workforce to Offer the National DPP Lifestyle Training

ACPM is actively participating in a cooperative agreement with funding from the CDC through the National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce Division of Diabetes Translation and in partnership with the National Center Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). The project includes development and piloting group coaching competencies, a training program and a certification examination that supports wide dissemination of the National DPP Lifestyle Change Program. This includes creating equity informed content to be included in DPP Training competency, supporting the standardization of DPP Training Entity practices and developing a scholarship program to ensure access to DPP Coaching Training within minoritized communities.

These projects are supported by the American College of Preventive Medicine through a Cooperative Agreement (CDC-RFA-OT18-1802) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (CSTLTS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents are solely the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

If you are interested in learning more about ACPM’s initiatives related to diabetes prevention, contact Claire Gugerty, Program Manager, Programs and Grants at cgugerty@acpm.org. For general inquiries about ACPM’s grants programs, contact Kate Shreve, Director, Programs and Grant at kshreve@acpm.org.

View ACPM's Diabetes Prevention Resources

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Additional Webinars

 

If you are interested in learning more about ACPM’s initiatives related to diabetes prevention or for general inquiries about ACPM’s grants programs, contact Kate Shreve, Senior Director, Programs and Grants at kshreve@acpm.org.

News

AMA Policy: Prediabetes as a Major Health Concern for Chronic Disease Prevention – Coming SOON

Evidence-Based Resources

 

Partners

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