Diabetes Risk and Prevention of African-American and Hispanic Adults and Adolescents With Family History of Type 2 Diabetes Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess type 2 diabetes knowledge, perceptions, risk factor awareness, and pre-vention practices among African American and Hispanic families with a history of diabetes. Methods Ninth and tenth grade Houston area students who had a parent who spoke English or Spanish and had a family history of type 2 diabetes were recruited. Student inter-views took place during lunch. Parents were interviewed via telephone. Open-ended questions in the interview guide assessed knowledge of diabetes and risk factors, diabetes prevention practices, and perceived risk. Students reported dietary behaviors. Responses were recorded. Results Interviews were conducted with 39 parents (95 % female, 49 % African-American, 51 % Hispanic) and 21 ninth and tenth grade adolescents (71 % female, 43 % African-American, 57 % Hispanic). The majority were over-weight. Approximately one-half of both groups reported some knowledge of diabetes. The majority (74%) of par-ents correctly identified family history as a risk factor