Group Visits for Hmong Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Pre-Post Analysis

Hmong refugees with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) have poor glycemic control. For Hmong adults with DM2, group visits were instituted at a community health center and evaluated for their influence on diabetes management. Pre- and postintervention measures of physical health, mental health, and behavior were collected on 39 participants (64% participation rate). Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of 39 group visit participants were compared with 22 Hmong DM2 adults who refused to participate and 216 nonparticipating Hmong DM2 adults from a local diabetes registry. Baseline characteristics were similar among the three groups. Although participants received good medical services and their mental health improved (p < 0.05), clinical outcomes did not significantly improve. Although group visits are feasible for providing medical services for Hmong adults with DM2, clinical outcomes remain outside of recommended targets. Addressing mental health in this population may be necessary before people can institute behavioral changes that improve diabetes management.