title: Vida Sana: a lifestyle intervention for uninsured, predominantly Spanish-speaking immigrants improves metabolic syndrome indicators.
abstract: Metabolic syndrome is an increasingly common condition that can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 35 % of adults living in the United States meet the criteria for having metabolic syndrome, with that number being even higher in populations with health disparities. We describe a 'healthy lifestyles' program implemented at a free clinic serving a predominantly Hispanic cohort of low-income, uninsured individuals living in Providence, Rhode Island. The "Vida Sana/Healthy Life" (Vida Sana) program uses low literacy, language-appropriate materials and trained peers to educate participants about healthy lifestyles in a setting that also provided opportunities for social engagement. 192 of 126 (65.6 %) participants in Vida Sana completed 6 out of 8 sessions of the Vida Sana program over a 12-month period. At the completion of the program, nearly 90 % of Vida Sana participants showed an increase in their health literacy, and at least 60 % of participants decreased each of the risk factors (blood sugar, cholesterol, body mass index or waist circumference) associated with metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yekta
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oliverio
authors.forename: Anne S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: De Groot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D054521:Cultural Competency; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D012237:Rhode Island; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids