DECATUR, Ga. – The DeKalb County Board of Health is partnering with the Diabetes Association of Atlanta to offer diabetes self-management education to residents who have pre-diabetes or type 1 or 2 diabetes. The series of classes will provide the knowledge and skills to successfully manage pre-diabetes, diabetes and their related conditions.
The classes are free and the schedule will be announced soon. An information session will be held Monday, Dec. 16, from to 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Board of Health’s Richardson Health Center at 445 Winn Way in Decatur. The event will include refreshments and free glucose screenings. Registration will be open and those who register will receive free A1c testing.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, diabetes is DeKalb County’s eighth leading cause of death and affects 10% of adults. The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program reports that about 27% of DeKalb’s adults are obese and about 21% are physically inactive. Both obesity and inadequate exercise are risk factors for diabetes.
Research shows that people who receive diabetes education are more likely to use primary care and preventive services, take medications as prescribed, control their glucose level and lower health care costs than those who don’t receive it. For more information about the Dec. 16 session, please call (404) 508-7847, email dekalb.ocdp@dph.ga.gov or sign up via Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/35dFfaw.