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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: November 7, 2011
Diabetes critical problem for Oklahoma minorities
OKLAHOMA CITY – Diabetes is a growing problem in Oklahoma
especially among the state’s minority communities. Occurrence
of diabetes among American Indians and African Americans is double
that of Caucasians. Sen. Constance N. Johnson and Rep. Randy McDaniel
will be joining other community leaders Monday, November 14 for
the 3rd Annual Capitol Dome Blue World Diabetes Day Program at the
State Capitol to help raise awareness about the growing health epidemic.
This year’s program will feature a special panel presentation,
“A Healthy Mind Keeps The Blues Away,” that will focus
on the potential co-occurrence of depression, anxiety, PTSD and
other mental health conditions with diabetes. Participants will
also receive information about tools for measuring the extent to
which such mental health conditions are occurring, and insight about
the potential impact of self medication and substance abuse on the
disease. A variety of health care providers and professionals will
provide the most up-to-date information about diabetes programs
and services, with an extra focus on ethnicity and multiculturalism.
“The prevalence of diabetes among minority communities especially
Native Americans and African Americans in Oklahoma is alarming.
We must do all we can to educate these groups and help prevent any
more unnecessary deaths,” said Johnson, D-Oklahoma County.
“We want to reach out and help these communities, but hope
all Oklahomans will take advantage of all the resources that will
be available at this special event.”
According to the Oklahoma Health Department, around 15 percent of
Oklahoma Native Americans and African Americans in the state have
diabetes compared to less than 10 percent of Caucasians. The diabetes
mortality rate for these two groups in the state is also significantly
higher than for other groups. Oklahoma Native Americans have just
over a 60 percent diabetes mortality rate while African Americans
have a nearly 56 percent rate. The mortality rate for Caucasians
is much lower at just under 26 percent.
“We can no longer ignore the health disparities among our
minority communities. It has become a matter of life and death especially
when it comes to the prevalence of diabetes,” said McDaniel,
R-Edmond. “This free event will provide these individuals
all the tools they need to improve their health and protect their
families. We want to urge Oklahomans to come join us and help make
Oklahoma healthier.”
Joining the fight against diabetes are American Indian created and
led, non-profit organizations like Native Youth Preventing Diabetes
(NYPD) and the Oklahoma Inter-Tribal Diabetes Coalition (OIDC).
“Our mission is not necessarily to educate specific patients,”
said Ron McIntosh, OIDC President. “We focus our attention
on ensuring that programs like NYPD, tribal health programs, and
any other program that may treat Native patients have the education
materials and training necessary to provide the most appropriate
education possible.”
At 13 percent, Oklahoma Hispanics also suffer at a higher rate of
diabetes than Caucasians (at less than 10 percent). The prevalence
of diabetes deaths is not as high as in the African and Native American
communities, but it is still higher than that of Caucasians at just
over 27 percent.
“Hispanic Americans experience higher rates of diet-related
chronic diseases such as overweight/obesity and diabetes compared
to non-Hispanics. Mexican American adults are two times more likely
than other ethnic groups to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes,”
said Diana Romano, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service FCS Educator.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t just a problem for Hispanic
adults either. Among overweight Hispanic children, Insulin Resistance
Syndrome estimates were found to range from 26 to nearly 40 percent
in 2007. Therefore, it’s imperative that we help raise awareness
and teach healthier lifestyles at earlier ages in this community.”
The free event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the
Second Floor Rotunda of the State Capitol. Speakers and more than
twenty local and national organizations and exhibitors will be on
hand to offer free information and education about diabetes prevention,
management and advocacy. Participants will light the Capitol Dome
blue, as part of World Diabetes Day, along with 1,100 monuments
worldwide.
The event will be sponsored by numerous agency and community partners
including the African American Community Diabetes Prevention Partners,
the Oklahoma City/County Health Department - Wellness NOW Initiative,
the State Department of Health, the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center,
the Wewoka Indian Health Center, the Oklahoma City Area Indian Health
Service/Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, the American Diabetes Association,
and many others.
For more information about the event or how to become a vendor,
please contact Tiffany Afflalo-Williams at tmawilliams@gmail.com,
or 405-312-5839; or Senator Johnson at holland@oksenate.gov; fax
# 405-521-5580.
For more information, contact:
Sen. Johnson: (405) 521-5531
Rep. McDaniel: (405) 557-7409
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