Diabetes Prevention Program builds network of support
Twenty-six sessions and one year later, the graduates of OneWorld’s Diabetes Prevention Program are more inspired than ever to stay connected and support each other.
Participants in the program learned about lifestyle changes that could help prevent Type 2 diabetes, including nutrition education, healthy meal preparation, exercise and more. But another secret to success for this session’s 24 graduates? Making personal, supportive connections with each other.
“This cohort, out of all of them that I personally have seen, they have been very close,” said Outreach Manager Vivian Garcia. I think that’s also another factor in why the retention rate was so high, because a lot of them were experiencing personal things that they all could relate to. I think forming that bond made them stronger.”
The cohort began meeting in May 2024. Split into two sections to accommodate varying schedules, participants met weekly for 16 weeks before tapering off to biweekly and monthly sessions. Garcia said the monthly meetings helped participants receive support and maintain changes they had made earlier in the program.
Sessions were taught primarily by OneWorld Wellness Coach Leticia Flores de Garcia, whom Vivian Garcia said also helped participants by providing non-traditional hours and offering optional physical activity sessions.
Though participants have now graduated, their dedication continues. A couple of participants recently went on to complete training to become community health promoters, because they wanted to take what they’d learned back to their community.
And others want to just keep the connection going – even if their session has officially ended.
“That I was really shocked to see,” Garcia said. “They wanted to continue to come. They kept saying … ‘We can do it on our own.’”
Additional program support came from nonprofit partners Whispering Roots and City Sprouts. Whispering Roots is dedicated to bringing healthy, fresh food and nutrition education to community members, while City Sprouts focuses on urban agriculture to build food systems, education and community. Funding for the program was generously provided by United Healthcare.