Center of Excellence for Diabetes in Americans of Mexican Descent

描述(由申请人提供)：减缓全国2型糖尿病的增长速度是我们面临的最紧迫的健康问题之一。受影响最严重的是少数族裔人口，如美国和墨西哥边境的墨西哥裔美国人，他们的比例在过去20年里翻了一番(现在占所有成年人的20%以上)。即使在儿童中，我们也发现超重和其他早发性2型糖尿病的预测因素的患病率远远高于全国。增长速度没有放缓的迹象。因此，很难夸大在少数群体中采取有效措施预防糖尿病的紧迫性。该提案建立在通过NCMHD项目出口(MD000170 P20)在格兰德河谷下部拉美裔健康研究中心建立的研究机会的基础上。这项卓越中心的申请旨在1)了解显性糖尿病的发展近端的变化，2)了解糖尿病对心理健康的影响和早期干预的潜力，3)利用强大的 4)了解如何利用行为新闻和媒体的成功技巧，在人群层面上改变饮食和体育活动行为。因此，卓越中心的科学重点是对墨西哥裔美国人糖尿病及其并发症的生理进展进行研究，并制定糖尿病预防战略并测试有效干预受2型糖尿病严重影响的少数群体的创新方法。我们希望我们的卓越中心成为墨西哥裔美国人糖尿病及其并发症的合作资源，为流行病学、干预和生理学研究提供重要的文化理解和适当的工具。拟议的墨西哥裔美国人糖尿病英才中心提出了一个行政核心、一个包括三个研究项目和两个试点研究的研究核心、一个培训核心和一个社区参与核心。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Slowing the rate of increase in type 2 diabetes nationally is one of the most urgent health problems we face. Worst affected are minority populations such as the Mexican American population along the US/Mexico border, where rates have doubled over the last two decades (now over 20% of all adults). Even in children we find rates much higher than nationally of overweight and other predictors of early onset type 2 diabetes. The rate of increase shows no sign of slowing. It is difficult, therefore, to overstate the urgency of addressing effective measures to prevent diabetes in minority populations. This proposal builds on the research opportunities established in the Hispanic Health Research Center of the Lower Rio Grande Valley through NCMHD Project EXPORT (MD000170 P20). This Center of Excellence application aims to 1) understand the changes proximal to the development of overt diabetes, 2) understand the mental health impact of diabetes and the potential for early intervention, 3) utilize the strong family unit in the Mexican American population to reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes in children through parental intervention, and 4) understand how to use the successful technique of behavioral journalism and the media to change diet and physical activity behavior at the population level. The scientific focus of the Center of Excellence is thus to conduct research on the physiologic progression to diabetes and its complications among Mexican Americans, and to develop diabetes prevention strategies and test innovative approaches to effective interventions in a minority population severely affected by type 2 diabetes. We intend our Center of Excellence to be a collaborative resource for diabetes and its complications in Mexican Americans providing critical cultural understanding and appropriate tools for epidemiological, intervention, and physiologic research. The proposed Center of Excellence on Diabetes in Americans of Mexican Descent proposes an administrative core, a research core including three research projects and two pilot studies, a training core and a community engagement core.