SHIELD: Empowering communities through faith-based diabetes prevention and management
Supporting our strategy to prevent diabetes and its complications in adults, the Spiritual Health Initiative for Eliminating and Lowering Diabetes (SHIELD) will bring diabetes prevention and management into the heart of South Carolina’s faith communities. By embedding culturally tailored education and preventive care within trusted settings, SHIELD aims to address health disparities and empower people to take control of their health.
Clinical screenings and point-of-care testing conducted by health care partners will evaluate participants before and after the SHIELD course. Clinical measures will be collected across all sites and be aggregated for data analysis of program efficacy. Community health workers are integral to the program’s success.
The initiative will launch at two sites:
• Welfare Baptist Church in Belton
• Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center in West Columbia
Each location will offer 12-week intensive programs designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools to prevent and manage diabetes. The initiative supports courses at these sites for two years. SHIELD will also identify and mentor community ambassadors — people who can extend the program’s impact by promoting healthier lifestyles throughout their congregations and neighborhoods.
Planned goals include:
• Enhancing understanding of diabetes and its complications.
• Improving clinical outcomes such as A1C, blood pressure and weight.
• Connecting participants to care providers.
• Building confidence in managing personal health.
• Creating a scalable model for other faith-based communities across the state.
SHIELD aims to begin a movement to transform health through faith, education and community leadership.
See early program structure and baseline for cohort 1: View the Diabetes Research 2025 Poster Template