An e-health intervention for increasing diabetes knowledge in African Americans

Abstract

An evidence-based e-health program, eCare We Care, was developed to disseminate information on diabetes management through web-based interactive tutorials. This study examined the effect of the eCare We Care program on diabetes knowledge development in African American adults with low diabetes literacy. Forty-six African American adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and low diabetes literacy were recruited from two health-care centres in eastern Winston Salem, North Carolina. The eCare We Care program included four weekly sessions: introduction to diabetes; eye complications; foot care; and meal planning. Significant differences in scores on the diabetes knowledge survey were demonstrated between the eCare We Care program participants and the comparison group. Study findings indicate the eCare We Care program is more effective in improving diabetes knowledge of African American adults with low diabetes literacy than paper-based, text-only tutorials. The eCare We Care program can be an effective educational strategy for improving diabetes knowledge and decreasing diabetes disparities among African American adults. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.