title: Hispanic chronic disease self-management: a randomized community-based outcome trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In light of health disparities and the growing prevalence of chronic disease, there is a need for community-based interventions that improve health behaviors and health status. These interventions should be based on existing theory.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the health and utilization outcomes of a 6-week community-based program for Spanish speakers with heart disease, lung disease, or type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The treatment participants in this study (n = 327) took a 6-week peer-led program. At 4 months, they were compared with randomized wait-list control subjects (n = 224) using analyses of covariance. The outcomes for all the treatment participants were assessed at 1 year, as compared with baseline scores (n = 271) using t-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 4 months, the participants, as compared with usual-care control subjects, demonstrated improved health status, health behavior, and self-efficacy, as well as fewer emergency room visits (p <.05). At 1 year, the improvements were maintained and remained significantly different from baseline condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This community-based program has the potential to improve the lives of Hispanics with chronic illness while reducing emergency room use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA. lorig@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Kate R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Lorig
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Virginia M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: González
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology*; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015399:Nursing Research; D012648:Self Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016896:Treatment Outcome