| Name of research project |
| Empowering Communities |
| What is the project? |
| Through the Centre for Ethnic Health Research, Leicester already does a great deal of engagement with local ethnic minority communities, but was inspired by work that has taken place in Houston under the Cities Changing Diabetes programme, where leaders within faith communities are helping to drive awareness, prevention, detection and management of type 2 diabetes.
Leicester is an ethnically diverse city. The largest ethnic minority group is South Asian, representing 32 per cent of the population. People from a South Asian background have a two to three times higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. There is also evidence that there is low uptake of screening, with language barriers having been identified as a key challenge. In the interest of raising awareness of type 2 diabetes in an appropriate and sustainable way, the Centre for Ethnic Health Research and researchers at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, in collaboration with representatives from various community groups and local stakeholders, have created a training programme for community champions. At its core, Empowering Communities will train community champions to be health and wellbeing advocates to their peers, focusing on increasing awareness of and preventing type 2 diabetes. Champions will receive training to screen for type 2 diabetes using the Leicester Diabetes Risk Score tool and be equipped to signpost individuals appropriately, based on their risk score. Training will also include guidance on dissemination of general health and wellbeing messages and how to use behaviour change techniques to encourage healthy lifestyles, thereby reducing risk. |
| What is the aim? |
| The Empowering Communities programme aims to bring together vital partners and community assets to develop a community champions model of diabetes care in order to reach communities who are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. |
| Who is involved? |
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| What are the benefits? |
| Upon completion of this programme of work, Leicester will have access to a network of champions who will be trained to raise awareness of type 2 diabetes, including the risk factors and be skilled to conduct type 2 diabetes screening within their communities.
These valuable members of the community can work with local partners to host wider health screening events in the future and help disseminate important health messages in a confident way. It is hoped that the community champions approach will help bridge the gap of mistrust between communities and healthcare providers. |
| Contact |
| Sophie O’Connell |
| Useful links |
| Cities Changing Diabetes |
Empowering Communities
