A new study is underway to help identify early signs and indicators of diabetes among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander young adults.
On Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., those between the ages of 20 and 50 will have an opportunity to take part in the study at the Pahoa Recreational Center at 15-3022 Kauhale Street.
Participants can be normal, pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals of any race, but must have resided in Hawaii for at least 10 years and be willing to have a follow-up within three years of enrollment.
The study is a five-year endeavor conducted by the Hawaii Social Epigenomics Early Diabetes Cohort and funded by a $3.3 million grant from the National Institute of Health.
“We see a higher prevalence of diabetes and other chronic disorders in Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders,” said Dr. Alika Maunakea, associate professor of the University of Hawaii Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine who is leading the study. “We’re really trying to understand not only the heightened prevalence of chronic diseases and diabetes in our community, but why it happens earlier.”
The group hopes to recruit 2,100 individuals for the study, and with roughly 500 already enrolled, initial results show that social factors like socio-economic status and dietary habits including poor nutrition can lead to an increased risk of developing diabetes.
But the study also hopes to shift focus on biological factors like the gut microbiome and epigenetics, or how environmental factors change the way genes work, to assist with prevention and early detection.
“This study will help us identify potentially new biomarkers for diabetes prevention,” Maunakea said. “You could not only identify individuals that might be at higher risk by looking at these biomarkers, but also be able to examine whether or not the interventions that exist in our community can actually help reduce their risks.”
Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders suffer from Type-2 diabetes more than any other racial or ethnic populations in Hawaii, with diagnoses starting at the age of 35 on average.
“The findings could potentially be used to develop culturally competent strategies to restore health equity, including nutritional, behavioral and environmental interventions,” said Ruben Juarez, economics professor at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization who is involved in the study. “The typical interventions we see were created on the mainland with a very specific population in mind, and we’re hoping that this will enable future interventions that are more culturally favored.”
In addition to Saturday’s event in Pahoa, the group is also working with the Hawaii Island Food Basket and other federally qualified health centers on the Big Island for recruitment events in the future.
Participants will receive a free 5-minute diabetes test, along with $100 for taking part and completing a questionnaire and providing health metrics.
“One thing that we are finding is that many of the participants don’t really know that they have diabetes yet,” Juarez added.
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are roughly 128,653 people in Hawaii, or over 11% of the adult population, who have diagnosed diabetes. But an additional 39,000 are estimated to have diabetes and not yet know it, while another 410,000 have prediabetes with blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetic.
“We are looking at what underlying biological factors might be contributing to this trajectory, or early onset of these conditions,” Maunakea said. “This study is one of the first to attempt to look at the biological underpinnings of disease trajectories that then can lead to identifying better ways to intervene, by enabling prevention and early detection.”
For those with diagnosed diabetes, Maunakea encourages behavioral and lifestyle interventions to combat the chronic illness, like diet and exercise.
“This study will help us shed some light on underreported, vulnerable populations like Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and hopefully encourage those that may not utilize health services to reduce their risk for chronic diseases to do so by looking at their own health,” Maunakea said. “The study is really about trying to identify better ways to enable prevention of these chronic conditions in our communities because, I think, that’s the missing piece of the puzzle.”
To register for the study and find out more information, visit https://www.hiseed.org/
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com