The IU Impact: We are helping Indianapolis neighborhoods create personalized approaches to health and wellness, benefiting communities and addressing billions in statewide costs associated with diabetes.
DIP-IN, the Diabetes Impact Project led by the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, is helping Hoosiers like Rice shift those numbers.
Ron Rice credits the program for lowering his own A1C levels. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University
The project is a $12 million, eight-year industry-academic initiative spearheaded by the Fairbanks School with support from Eli Lilly and Co., and in coordination with the Marion County Public Health Department and Eskenazi Health. Working with residents in Indianapolis' Northeast, Near Northwest and Near West neighborhoods - areas with higher rates of diabetes and lower life expectancy - it is focused on preventing diabetes and helping those diagnosed better manage the disease through education, physical activity and social engagement.
To date, the project has implemented over 80 community projects with more than 79,000 community engagements, in addition to working directly with more than 900 people living with diabetes.
"We are grateful to Indiana University, community members and organizations who have fueled the success of DIP-IN with their passion and dedication," said Cynthia Cardona, vice president of social impact at Lilly. "At Lilly, we go beyond our medicines and remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting local communities where we live and work. We are proud to support the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis in their work to enhance diabetes prevention and control in resource-limited communities in Indianapolis."
Close to home
Rice remembers the vibrancy of the Indianapolis Near Northwest neighborhood he grew up in. Years of disinvestment transformed the area, impacting access to fresh foods, transportation and the overall health of its residents. When DIP-IN launched, he saw an opportunity to not only restore what once was, but to help create something healthier. Rice was on the resident steering committee but now serves as the Near Northwest project manager.
Community health workers provide resources and support to DIP-IN residents and steering committees, identifying evidence-based, community-level programs to improve quality of life for their neighbors.
Preliminary research has shown great progress. According to a report, residents with diabetes who worked with community health workers over a three-year period saw their blood-sugar levels drop from 9.39% to 8.89%, on average. For adults with diabetes, target blood-sugar levels are less than 7%. Even small reductions in blood-sugar levels have significant outcomes, lowering the risk of serious diabetes-related complications like heart attacks and kidney disease.
Lisa Staten's research focuses on chronic disease prevention using community-based participatory research methods. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University
Centering community perspectives
The average life expectancy in Northeast, Near Northwest and Near West ZIP codes is nine to 16 years lower than other ZIP codes in the Indianapolis metro area, exposing the differences in place and health across the city.
These neighborhoods also have strong community structures, which align with DIP-IN's key principle: Residents are best suited to decide what action will be the most effective.
"DIP-IN has been the only program that I have ever seen in the eight years that I've been doing community building that has 100% made the resident's voice the most prominent one," Rice said. "And the ripple effects have been incredible. Seniors are coming out in droves and getting involved."
Rice and the Near Northwest steering committee have welcomed 28 programs centered on nutrition and physical activity. Residents can gather for monthly Sunday Suppers at the Aspire House to build friendships and enjoy healthy food. Residents chose physical fitness as a core focus after seeing underutilized local parks. Nearly every day, people can attend group exercise classes like Inferno Step and Brewsters Boxing Beauties, or go the distance with the Riverside Riders biking club to meet their health goals.
"We're getting more people active through movement and play," Rice said. "When you're unhealthy, you're unresponsive to the rest of the world. But as you get healthier, your household gets healthier. Then the street gets healthier, then the neighborhood, and then the community."
A model for the future
Chronic diseases, like diabetes, are complex, and the factors that contribute to them are wide-ranging. As a result, these issues require multifaceted and coordinated interventions. With the DIP-IN model's focus on reducing risk factors, it can be translated across health concerns. IU Health's IHEART initiative to reduce health inequities that contribute to heart disease and cardiovascular health was modeled after DIP-IN's community health worker design.
Residents of the three DIP-IN neighborhoods have no plans to stop their momentum. As the project enters year eight, steering committee leaders are drumming up sustainability plans to keep the work going.
Through initiatives like DIP-IN, innovations in diabetes management, expanded diabetes care in rural Indiana populations and more, IU is having a significant economic impact on local communities and the state.
"From increasing livability, to creating new opportunities for residents to get fit, to even resurrecting defunct organizations, this project will leave a big mark on the Near Northwest," Rice said.
