Congresswoman Matsui Announces $200,000 Federal Award to Sacramento State's School of Nursing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 3, 2013

CONTACT: JONELLE TRIMMER
(202) 225-7163

Congresswoman Matsui Announces $200,000 Federal Award to Sacramento State's School of Nursing

Funds will be used to study prevention and early treatment of diabetes among Hmong population

CA - Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) today announced that the California State University Sacramento School of Nursing has received a $200,000 preliminary grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. This grant, part of a larger grant of $780,000 over three years, will allow the School of Nursing to partner with the Hmong Women's Heritage Association to study prevention and early treatment of diabetes in the Hmong community.

"Prevention and early treatment of disease are critical components to achieving better health outcomes and reigning in health care costs," said Congresswoman Matsui. "I am pleased that this grant will facilitate community partnerships that will help ensure all Americans, regardless of ethnicity, are receiving the preventative services they need."

Studies have shown that the Hmong population experiences Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) at disproportionate rates. To address this health inequity a community based participatory research (CBPR) partnership project was developed to reduce the disease's burden among the Hmong community. These funds will allow this partnership to conduct further research into effective community based methods to improve quality of life and health outcomes in the Hmong community.

The CBPR partnership conducted a community needs assessment in 2011 of persons of Hmong origin with T2DM and found that only a small percentage had received medical screenings and tests that are critical for maintaining and living with the disease. The assessment also indicated that only 15% of respondents reported doing any type of exercise or physical activity, which is key to warding off future diseases.

"Sacramento State is proud to be a leader in improving the health of people in our region, and this grant will help us fight the terrible effects of diabetes in the Hmong community," said Alexander Gonzalez, President, California State University, Sacramento. "I commend Congresswoman Doris Matsui and our other federal partners as we work to save lives and create a better and healthier future for the communities we serve."

"We are honored to be awarded this funding from the National Institute of Minority Health Disparities," said Dian Baker, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Sacramento State School of Nursing. "Diabetes is epidemic among the Hmong community. We appreciate this grant funding because the partnership between Sacramento State and Hmong Womenand#39;s Heritage Association can now address the significant health disparities experienced by the members of Hmong community suffering from diabetes. Together we can develop new approaches to overcome barriers to prevention and early treatment for diabetes."

The goal of this study is to assist in meeting the Healthy People 2020 objectives for Hmong community members. For the past 30 years, Healthy People has been committed to improving the quality of health with an investment in public health prevention priorities. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched Healthy People 2020, a 10 year goal to promote health and improve disease prevention.

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