Study Findings from Brown University Broaden Understanding of COVID-19 (Continuity of Care and Lifestyle Intervention Programs for Spanish-speaking Immigrants Without Health Insurance At a Free Clinic In Rhode Island): Coronavirus – COVID-19

2024 DEC 23 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx COVID-19 Daily -- Data detailed on Coronavirus - COVID-19 have been presented. According to news reporting originating in Providence, Rhode Island, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate changes in metabolic biomarkers among participants in Bridging the [Health Equity] Gap (BTG), a free program run by Cl & iacute;nica Esperanza/ Hope Clinic (CEHC) for Spanish-speaking immigrants without health insurance in Rhode Island. From July 2019 through June 2021, 471 people volunteered to participate in the BTG program.”

Financial supporters for this research include Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, ACEV Foundation, Textron Charitable Trust, Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Integra Healthcare, Rhode Island Department of Health, US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program, City of Providence, Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for WO Men Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA, Charter Care Foundation.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Brown University, “Participants enrolled in lifestyle change classes and visited quarterly with health care providers. We reviewed medical records to collect data on blood glucose, total cholesterol, hemoglobin A 1c (HbA1c), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, and 21 months after enrollment. We used paired t tests to identify changes in measurements and conducted a regression analysis to analyze trends in longitudinal patient outcomes. From baseline to 6-month follow-up, we observed significant decreases in all participants’ mean HbA1c (-0.71%), systolic (-5 mm Hg), and diastolic blood pressure (-2 mm Hg). At 12 months, significant decreases in mean HbA1c persisted among participants with diabetes and prediabetes (-1.07%). At 12 months, participants with mean systolic blood pressure >120 mm Hg also had significant decreases in mean systolic blood pressure (-9 mm Hg), and patients with diastolic blood pressure >80 mm Hg had significant decreases in mean diastolic blood pressure (-9 mm Hg). Local population-level surges in COVID-19 due to Delta and Omicron variants were associated with increases in HbA1c and blood glucose measurements above trendlines.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “The BTG program demonstrated resilience in supporting improvement in the metabolic biomarkers of participants, despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued engagement of participants in self-care despite limited health care access, and underscores the positive role of free clinics among lowincome, Spanish-speaking immigrants.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Continuity of Care and Lifestyle Intervention Programs for Spanish-speaking Immigrants Without Health Insurance At a Free Clinic In Rhode Island. Preventing Chronic Disease, 2024;21. Preventing Chronic Disease can be contacted at: Centers Disease Control & Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Chilsea Wang, Brown University, School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States. Additional authors for this research include Jocelyn Yang, Muneet Gill, Julia Testa, Morgan Leonard and Anne S. De Groot.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd21.240136. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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