Free Diabetes Testing Available This Month
Free diabetes testing will be available throughout Ventura County until the end of this month as part of the American Diabetes Assn.’s “Diabetes Alert” month.
The association decided to target Ventura County for the testing program this year largely because of the high Latino population in the county. The disease strikes minorities at far higher rates than Anglos; for Latinos, one out of seven people have diabetes, whereas only one out of 20 Anglos suffer from it.
“Diabetes has an incredible effect on the Latino community,” said Tami Outterbridge, spokeswoman for the association.
The life-threatening disease is hereditary, but can be exacerbated by such other factors as diet, she said.
“It has a lot to do with lifestyle,” Outterbridge said. “A lot of Latinos struggle with their weight, which can tip them over the scale if the disease is already in their family.”
Last year, during Diabetes Alert month, the group screened 1,200 Los Angeles County residents, 10% of whom turned out to have diabetes.
The free screening is called the blood-glucose test, a simple pin-prick test that takes only five minutes and measures the amount of sugar present in a person’s bloodstream.
The following free screenings are scheduled in Ventura County:
Wednesday, Esplanade Mall, Oxnard, 8 to 9:45 a.m. and St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Oxnard, from 8 to 11:30 a.m.
Friday, Esplanade Mall, Oxnard, 8 to 9:45 a.m.
Saturday, Center Point Mall, Oxnard, 9 a.m. to noon.
Monday, Esplanade Mall, Oxnard, 8 to 9:45 a.m.
March 26, South Oxnard Boys & Girls Club, 9:30 to 11 a.m.; Community Memorial Hospital, Ventura, 1 to 3 p.m.; Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, 8 to 10 a.m.
March 27, Esplanade Mall, Oxnard, 8 to 9:45 a.m.; NCBC Base, Port Hueneme, BOQ Building #164, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (for active/retired military and civilian employees only).
March 28, Oxnard Farmers Market, 10 to 11:45 a.m. ($2 fee).
March 29, Esplanade Mall, Oxnard, 8 to 9:45 a.m.; Goebel Senior Center, Thousand Oaks, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
March 30, Magnolia Family Health Care Center, Oxnard, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
March 31, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Oxnard, 10 a.m. to noon.
Educational classes on living with diabetes are also available. Call 685-2773 for more information.
