Duke University Teams Up With Black Churches to Fight Diabetes

With a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Duke University is teaming up with 13 predominantly black churches in the Durham area for a research project aimed at helping African Americans who suffer from diabetes. Under the program, participants join a support group that meets at the local church. They also attend education seminars designed to help them lead a better and healthier life. Each participant is assigned a community health educator for consultations. Three times a year, each participant will have his or her blood glucose levels tested. Results will be compared to patients at Duke Medical Center who have not participated in support groups or attended the education seminars.