ORIGINAL REPORTS :D IABETES AND OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES CHANGES IN QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS AMONG CHRONIC DISEASE SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS :A N EXAMINATION BY RACE AND ETHNICITY

Objective: To assess changes in self-reportedquality of life indicators among ChronicDisease Self-Management Program (CDSMP)participants from baseline to 6-month follow-up and compare observed changes by racialand ethnic group.Design: A pre-post evaluation design wasemployed for this evidence-based chronicdisease self-management intervention. Datawere collected at baseline and again sixmonths post intervention.Setting: Using the aging services network andpublic health system, workshops were hostedin a variety of community settings includingsenior centers, churches, libraries, and healthcare settings.Participants: One-hundred thirty-six adultsaged $50 years residing in Bexar County,Texas.Interventions: CDSMP is an evidence-basedprogram created at Stanford University. Theprogram was held one time per week for sixconsecutive weeks. Each session lasted ap-proximately 150 minutes.Main Outcome Measures: Health-relatedquality of life indicators developed by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (ie,total number of unhealthy physical days,unhealthy mental days).Results: From baseline to 6-month follow-up,significant differences by racial/ethnic groupwere observed for changes in unhealthyphysical days and changes in combinedunhealthy days. Hispanic participants showedgreatest improvement, followed by AfricanAmerican participants, followed by non-His-panic White participants.Conclusions: Findings indicate health-relatedquality of life improvements can be sustainedmonths after the conclusion of CDSMP. Givengains seen among minority participants andforthcoming demographic shifts in this Texasregion, community-driven interventions shouldbe expanded as part of broader efforts toreduce racial and ethnic disparities in health.(Ethn Dis. 2013;23[2]:182–188)Key Words: Program Evaluation, Quality ofLife, Self-management, Older Adults, Aging