Presented to the Faculty
of the University of Alaska Anchorage
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of
MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTHApproximately 25.8 million US residents are living with diabetes. Research has
demonstrated that healthy lifestyles can significantly reduce the onset of diabetes. Various
community-based programs have been implemented nationally to address diabetes through
lifestyle changes. One such program is the Living Well with Diabetes (LWwD) program of
Prince William County, Virginia. The goal of this project practicum was to conduct a process
evaluation of the Living Well with Diabetes (LWwD) Program of Prince William County,
Virginia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with LWwD program educators.
Qualitative data analysis on secondary, post-course evaluations was performed using a thematic
method to coding on all short string responses. Results indicate that the intended delivery of the
program curriculum resulted in positive changes in the knowledge, attitudes, and applied
behaviors of the LWwD program participants. Overall, the continued support of the LWwD
program goals would significantly improve the public health and safety of the community.Signature Page / Title Page / Abstract / List of Figures / List of Tables / List of Appendices / Acknowledgements / Introduction / Background / Goals, Objectives, and Research Questions / Methods / Results / Data Source 1: LWwD Participant Registration Database / Worksheet 1: Interview Template for Program Educators / Worksheet 2: LWwD Post-Course Evaluation / Worksheet 3: LWwD Post-Course Evaluation (January 2016) / Discussion / Strengths and Limitations / Public Health Implications / Conclusions and Recommendations / References / Appendice
