Patricia Addie-Gentle, coordinator of the diabetes education program at DeKalb Medical Center, discusses gestational diabetes with Wendy Greenway, left, and Teresa D. Ware, right.

Close to 30,000 DeKalb County residents struggle with diabetes on a daily basis. Depending on the type, the disease - caused by a lack of or the body's resistance to insulin - can affect both children and adults.

To effectively combat diabetes, those diagnosed with it must know what they are dealing with and how to minimize its effects on their bodies. The staff at the Center for Outpatient Diabetes Education at DeKalb Medical Center in Decatur is working hard to provide this knowledge to area residents.

Along the way, they have been faced with a new challenge. More of today's patients come from diverse cultural backgrounds. In fact, 6 percent of the center's patients don't speak English as their primary language, said Patricia Addie- Gentle, coordinator of the diabetes education program.

The center's staff has sought new ways to provide these patients with the information they need to live healthier lives. Starting in July 2003, the center began offering a multicultural diabetes education program.

One of the first steps was translating the course materials into Spanish and Chinese. However, it was not a simple matter of word translation. With different cultures come different dietary needs and customs.

"We had to research foods for each culture to address what is part of their daily diet," Addie-Gentle said. "We have to incorporate what they like into their meal plan."

Also, instructors must know the definition of the terms they use when discussing food. "You have to make sure you're talking about the same food," Addie-Gentle said.

For example, to mainstream America, a pear is a fruit similar to an apple. For Caribbean natives, however, a pear is an avocado. To aid instructors, cultural food models have been developed to illustrate various cultural diets.

The instructors also help in translating the information from one language or culture to the next. There are facilitators who speak foreign languages and volunteer their time and assistance.

"We actually have people who were born [in other countries] to come in and give us information," Addie-Gentle said.

Addie-Gentle believes her staff's efforts are paying off. "I see a real positive effect," she said.

For example, about 30 percent of the patients who take the course have not been monitoring their blood sugar level, she said. Three months after the class, patients are asked to return for a follow-up session. At this point, between 98 percent and 100 percent of the patients are monitoring their blood sugar level.

For information on the Center for Outpatient Diabetes Education at DeKalb Medical Center, call 404-501-1790 or visit the center at 2701 North Decatur Road (Room 0421), in Decatur.