According to the Kentucky Department for Public Health, one in seven Kentucky adults has been diagnosed with diabetes. Lewis County has upwards of 7 percent of the adult population diagnosed diabetic.  Although community members may know about the diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one, learning how to manage this new lifestyle can be difficult. Providing programming on lifestyle change is important for overall physical, and metal health of those diagnosed diabetic, and is also important for caregivers.

Lewis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Mandi Broderick, in partnership with the Lawrence County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Alivia Faris, hosted the National Dining with Diabetes program. In a time where most in-person programming had ceased due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dining with Diabetes was adapted to be conducted virtually to help ensure that individuals were still able to get the information they needed to better their health. This program featured four separate virtual Zoom classes, with each meeting focusing on one aspect of managing diabetes and healthy nutrition. 

9 individuals participated in the Dining with Diabetes program. Participants ranged from ages 40-70+ and came from geographical locations from all over the Eastern US. Participants engaged in discussion on Zoom about their personal struggles with diabetes and were also able to learn about basic nutrition, reading labels, and knowing/understanding health numbers could help them manage the disease.

Dining with Diabetes was overall a successful program. Prior to the start of the course the average A1C for the group was 6.9 and at the 3-month follow up the average A1C had dropped to 6.25. 100% of participants indicated and increase in knowledge of basic nutrition principles that relate to diabetes along with an increase in knowledge of recipes and food preparation that could benefit those with diabetes. One participant stated, “Thanks for hosting this program. I am a T2 diabetic, diagnosed a year ago. (Had been pre diabetic for several years before that). I changed my eating habits and take meds. Was looking for some more information which I got from this class”. In the 3-month returned surveys, participants indicated they were still incorporating the information they learned from the class by adding exercise into their day, practicing portion control, and reading labels more closely.

In an effort to extend the reach of this program even further each Zoom session was also recorded and edited for distribution on the Lewis and Lawrence county Facebook pages. As of January 2021 these four videos have received 518 views from various individuals nationwide and continue to be watched by people near and far.

Dining with Diabetes is a program that the participants greatly enjoyed and appreciated.  Programs like these allow FCS Extension Agents an opportunity to educate the community about diabetic health and educate those diagnosed with the disease and caregivers on the importance of diabetes management for a healthy living.

Dining With Diabetes Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxtufkRsWM2bj6_2I4k7DAKDCw4Kx7VNM