Sisters Together, Move More, Eat Better

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Diabetes Translation Conference May 5-8,
2008 Orlando, Florida
Martina S. Harris, Ed.D, MSN,RN Assistant
Professor University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Urban League of Greater Chattanooga Health
Consultant
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Chattanooga, TN
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Sisters Together!!!!
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Problem

• Approximately 7 of the total population suffer
  with diabetes each year
• Approximately 13.3 of all African Americans 20
  years or older have diabetes
• African American women are 1.8 times more likely
  to suffer diabetes as non Hispanic whites
• Medical cost to the American public to directly
  treat diabetes was around 27 billion dollars
  (2007)
• American Diabetes Association

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Who are we?

• Chattanooga, TN Sisters Together Move More, Eat
  Better is modeled after the 1994 program from
  Boston, Mass
• It is a FREE community based initiative to help
  address and combat the obesity epidemic
• Program began July 10, 2006 and to date over 700
  women have attended the Sisters Together Program
• It was initially centralized in one location
  until third session

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Where to start

• PROBLEM exist
• Investigate need questions asked for the
  Sisters Together project
• Do the number of obese minority women support
  need for the Sisters program?
• Do any other programs currently exist in
  Chattanooga like Sisters Together?
• How do program participants compare to the county
  population in general?

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Purpose

• Designed for African American women between the
  ages of 18-35 to
• Increase physical activity levels
• Increase nutritional knowledge

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Goals

• Reduce weight
• Reduce BMI
• Reduce waist circumference
• Increase physical activity
• Increase knowledge about nutrition

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Program Objectives

• 50 of program participants will show a decrease
  in BMI
• 50 of program participants will show a reduction
  in weight
• 50 of program participants are engaged in
  physical activity 30 minutes a day, 3 days per
  week
• 50 of participants consume 5-7 servings of
  fruits and vegetables daily

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Program Objectives
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Data Collection

• Pre Post test survey
• Waist circumference
• Height
• Blood Pressure
• BMI
• Age

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Findings
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Findings
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Findings
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Lessons Learned

• Daycare concerns
• Back to school issues
• Program location

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Partners

• State of Tennessee/CDC
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee
• Weight Control Information Network (WIN)
• National Institute of Health (NIH)
• National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and
  Kidney Disease (NIDDK)
• Memorial Health Care Center
• Chattanooga Black Nurses Association
• Erlanger System Federally Qualified Health
  Centers
• City of Chattanooga Parks/Recreation

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Final Thoughts

• Diabetes obesity is a public health concern
  which greatly impacts other medical conditions
• The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga is
  committed to this project and will continue to
  explore opportunities to improve this program
• The Sisters Program has just began the 6th
  12-week cohort

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• We need to figure out ways to generate effective
  obesity interventions in the black community and
  in other communities of color where excess risks
  is observed, or we should get out of the
  business. We have to offer more, much more than
  we do now.
• 2004, Shiriki Kumanyika. PhD,MPH Univ of Penn
  School of Medicine
• Keynote speaker CDC Science Awards

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Sisters Together ProgramContact information

• Warren Logan President/CEO
• Julia Taylor - Project Manager
• Dr. Martina Harris Health Consultant
• 423-756-1762

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Future
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Internet Address
www.ulchatt.net
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Questions