TY - JOUR AU - Ziegahn, Linda AU - Styne, Dennis AU - Askia, Joyce AU - Roberts, Tina AU - Lewis, Edward T. AU - Edwards, Whitney PY - 2013 TI - Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Diabetes and Obesity in Sacramento, California: The African American Leadership Coalition and University of California, Davis T2 - Preventing Chronic Disease JO - Prev Chronic Dis SP - E187 VL - 10 CY - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. N2 - BACKGROUND Diabetes is one of the leading causes of illness and death for African Americans and people of African descent throughout the United States and in the city and county of Sacramento, California. The involvement of families and communities in developing prevention strategies can increase the likelihood that behavioral changes will be sustained. CONTEXT Three member organizations of the African American Leadership Coalition (AALC) entered into a partnership with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) to engage families in developing a process to identify barriers to diabetes and obesity prevention and reduction, exchange strategies, and create action plans for prevention. METHODS The intervention comprised 3 phases: 1) coalition formation and training; 2) data collection, analysis, and dissemination of results; and 3) development of family and community action plans. Academic and community partners planned and implemented all project phases together. OUTCOMES Sources of information about diabetes and obesity were primarily doctors and the Internet; barriers were related to lack of time needed to prepare healthy meals, high food costs, transportation to fresh markets, motivation around healthy habits, and unsafe environments. Action plans addressed behavioral change and family cohesion. The group discussion format encouraged mutual support and suggestions for better eating and physical exercise habits. INTERPRETATION This collaborative partnership model can strengthen existing group relationships or promote new affiliations that form the basis for future action coalitions. Participants worked both within and across groups to exchange information, stories of success and challenges, and specific health improvement strategies. SN - 1545-1151 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.130074 DO - 10.5888/pcd10.130074 ER -