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Abstract
This study was designed to test the hypothesis that A1c knowledge would be associated with selected demographic and health characteristics, and that an educational intervention would increase A1c knowledge and decrease A1c blood levels in Older Americans Nutrition Program participants. Participants were a convenience sample from the OANP (n = 105, mean age = 73 years, 58% Caucasian, 42% African American, 70% women, 30% had < 8 years of education). In regression analyses, higher A1c knowledge at baseline was negatively associated with age (P < 0.0001) and A1c blood levels (P < 0.07). In the subset of participants that completed the intervention, the percent of participants who scored 40% or higher on A1c knowledge increased from 48% to 82% (P < 0.0001, n = 99). After the intervention, blood A1c decreased 0.66% in participants with initial A1c > 6.5% (P < 0.01, n = 43).