Qingdao diabetes prevention programme

Predictions of a further increase in the number of people with diabetes in China emphasises the importance of preventive efforts towards the onset of diabetes and provision of appropriate treatment for people already living with diabetes.

With a current prevalence of diabetes in Qingdao at 7.5%, it is important to have a basis for early diagnosis and proper management of diabetes.

It is, however, equally important to raise public awareness of diabetes and its risk factors - awareness which is presently very poor in Qingdao: being 20% in urban and 10% in rural areas. This would contribute to limiting the number of people with the disease in the future.

For this purpose, primary prevention has been considered the most cost-effective approach to combat the impact of diabetes in the general population.

An ongoing WDF-supported project in China "National diabetes programme" (WDF02-036) already pays attention to people living with diabetes by focusing on treatment and capacity building within the health care system nationwide.

The present project has a large component of primary prevention and awareness raising in the general public, thereby supplementing WDF02-036. It is hoped that the model developed in Qingdao may be used in other regions of China for primary prevention of diabetes.

Objective

The project aims to implement a diabetes prevention programme targeting the population of Qingdao to promote public awareness and improve diabetes care.

Approach

The prevention programme will be implemented through three concurrent strategies aimed at:

1. The general public
2. People at high risk for developing diabetes
3. People with undiagnosed diabetes.

These concurrent strategies ensure that the interventions get an impact at various levels in the society of Qingdao.

The first strategy - the population strategy - is aimed at raising public awareness of diabetes and at promoting health in the entire population. This is done by means of education and interventions to promote healthy diet and physical activity. The methods used are advocacy, school interventions, media communication, training of health care professionals and lifestyle consultations.

The second strategy - the high risk strategy - is aimed at preventing or delaying the onset of diabetes by identification and management of people at high risk for development of diabetes. Concrete activities in this strategy are screening for conditions associated with the development of diabetes as well as interventions to modify or manage the identified risk conditions.

The third strategy - the strategy of early diagnosis and management - is aimed at improving patient care by providing systematic treatment and preventing the development of complications. This strategy includes establishment of a systematic registration and referral system and education of doctors to become diabetes specialists.

The three strategies target different levels of the society and by combining them it is the intention to create a basis for prevention of new diabetes cases and for proper management of people already living with diabetes.

Expected impact

• 1.94 million people exposed to awareness campaigns.
• 901 nurses working in 228 primary and 75 middle schools and in 598 kindergartens educated in the importance of primary prevention.
• Approximately 2,000 health care professionals from 690 primary care units trained in early detection and proper management of diabetes.
• 690 primary care units improved by provision of necessary equipment and supplies.
• 4 doctors trained to become diabetes specialists.

Results to date

• 2,093  trained professionals working in 452 primary care clinics are working for the project. A total of 190,270 citizens were screened using a risk score and 40,850 identified as high-risk population. Among them, 1838 were undiagnosed diabetes.
• 60% of the trained professionals started to make diet prescription to each individual with a risk score above 14.
• Most of the 313 trained school nurses started to give regular lectures on diabetes prevention and management to the students. 
• The 1st Qingdao Forum on Diabetes Prevention, which was aimed at promoting the project theme, was held on Oct 10-11, 2007 in Qingdao. The meeting attracted great public attention and boosted the project work.
• Four articles and reports on diabetes were published in three newspapers: Qingdao Daily, Qingdao Morning and Qingdao Evening.
• The educational program in Qingdao Renmin Radio Broadcast is ongoing. A total of 72 programs have been produced. The 30 minutes program starts at 12:20 p.m. on Monday and is repeated from 3:30 to 4:00 a.m. the following day. Approximately one million citizens listen the program.
• The project website qddiabetes.org was opened to the public in May 2007 and is updated regularly. All the educational material is free for download from this website.
• A questionnaire survey on diabetes awareness has been carried out among approximately 20,000 students in 23 primary schools and 16 middle schools. The survey will offer the first hand figure on the diabetes awareness among school children in Qingdao area.
• Three specialists, one from Huangdao and the rest two from Jiaonan, have finished their clinical training in the university hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing, respectively. They are working for the project in the local hospitals.
  

Project data

Area Partner Project responsible Duration Project budget WDF contribution Project number

China Qingdao Municipal Health Administrative Bureau Dr. Qing Qiao August 2005 - July 2011 EUR 22,014,040 EUR 404,040 WDF05-108

This page was last updated 9-17-2008 by sfh.wdf