Diabetes Awareness Day 2007

On November 12, 2007, CARE: Community Alliance for Research and Engagement sponsored Diabetes Awareness Day to highlight Diabetes Month and to bring attention to this serious and devastating health issue in New Haven. Diabetes Awareness Day, CARE’s first community outreach event, was a great success! The event was held from 2:00-6:00 pm at the Dixwell-Yale University Community Learning Center/Rose Center. Approximately 75 people attended the event over the course of the day, representing various communities of New Haven.

Diabetes Awareness Day created awareness and enhanced knowledge around diabetes prevention and management. The event featured a variety of activities to accomplish this goal, including:

• Two ‘ask the experts’  panels on disease prevention and disease management that were very well received
• Educational information about diabetes provided by various community-based organizations such as Hill Health Center, Fair Haven Community Health Center and the Connecticut chapter of the American Diabetes Association
• Dissemination of research findings through CARE’s research briefs; 5 were developed for this event
• Research recruitment information
• Diabetes risk assessments
• Approximately 30 blood glucose screenings conducted by volunteers from the Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health as well as the Stone Academy
• Body fat and weight assessments
• Provider referrals
• Healthy food demonstrations with professional chef
• Exercise activities
• Healthy food and refreshments, planned with the help of a registered dietician

CARE distributed five research briefs focused on diabetes-related studies conducted at Yale. The briefs included:

• Obesity and Your Children: Increased Risk and What You Can Do About It
• Bright Bodies: Helping New Haven Children Lose Weight
• Trade in that Soda Can for Milk or Water! Soda is Related to Obesity and Health Risks
• Making a Tough Job Easier: New Device Improves Diabetes Management
• Diabetes & Heart Disease: Control This “Double Threat”