Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and it is now cited along with obesity as a global epidemic.
Significant racial/ethnic disparities exist in the prevalence of diabetes within the US, with racial and ethnic minorities
disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes and its complications. Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic factors influence the
development and course of diabetes at multiple levels, including genetic, individual, familial, community and national. From
an ecodevelopmental perspective, cultural variables assessed at one level (e.g., family level dietary practices) may interact
with other types of variables examined at other levels (e.g., the availability of healthy foods within a low-income neighborhood),
thus prompting the need for a clear analysis of these systemic relationships as they may increase risks for disease. Therefore,
the need exists for models that aid in “mapping out” these relationships. A more explicit conceptualization of such multi-level
relationships would aid in the design of culturally relevant interventions that aim to maximize effectiveness when applied
with Latinos and other racial/ethnic minority groups. This paper presents an expanded ecodevelopmental model intended to serve
as a tool to aid in the design of multi-level diabetes prevention interventions for application with racial/ethnic minority
populations. This discussion focuses primarily on risk factors and prevention intervention in Latino populations, although
with implications for other racial/ethnic minority populations that are also at high risk for type 2 diabetes.
Keywords Ecodevelopmental model - Type 2 diabetes - Diabetes prevention - Latino populations - Cultural context
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of the National
Center On Minority Health And Disparities or the National Institutes of Health.
Submitted to: Journal of Behavioral Medicine.