Diabetes Assn. Targets Latino Community
The American Diabetes Assn. is seeking Spanish-speakers for a volunteer program to teach about diabetes and its prevalence in the Latino community.
An estimated one in seven Latinos has diabetes.
“The idea is to get people who have access to community groups to talk to those groups, or if they’re involved in their church to talk to people there,” said Marta Miyar, Latino programs coordinator for the association. “We want to train them about what are the common myths and what are the symptoms and to teach people about them, so hopefully the diagnosis rate will go up.”
Often, she said, symptoms are so common, such as an unusual thirst or itchy hands, that people dismiss them without checking with a doctor. Over time, people become accustomed to the symptoms or attribute them to old age until the diabetes, left untreated, results in a medical emergency.
The two-day certification class to become a volunteer is scheduled for Saturday and July 25, Miyar said.
Information: (213) 381-3639.
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