title: Teen peer educators and diabetes knowledge of low-income fifth grade students.
abstract: The current study was designed to evaluate a unique adolescent peer type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM) prevention training program for fifth grade children. Peer educators were 22 high school students who participated in the Elementary Institute of Science's Commission on Science that Matters, a year-long program promoting active participation in the health and environmental sciences. Peer education was delivered in the form of a two hour health fair. A knowledge survey was given to fifth grade students in the classroom before the health fair began and then again in the classroom after the health fair. Fifth grade students were able to correctly identify Type 1 DM (23 vs. 40%; P < .01), Type 2 DM (21 vs. 52%; P < .001), and the signs of diabetes (10 vs. 39%; P < .001) after the health fair. This approach could be inexpensively integrated into any community-based health promotion with children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Evaluation, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, 100 S. Los Robles, 2nd Floor, Pasadena, CA, USA. Karen.J.Coleman@kp.org
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Andrea Yoder
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shordon
authors.forename: Leticia L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ocana
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Jesica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oratowski-Coleman
authors.forename: Athena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philis-Tsimikas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006277:Health Fairs; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*