Midway through a three-year, $2 million grant from the United Health Foundation, University of Houston’s Project TOUCH (Treating Obesity in Underserved Communities) has impressive numbers to report.
Based on its success in Houston’s Third Ward, the effort for preventing and treating obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other ailments will move into Houston’s East End in the fall.Under the direction of professors Ezemenari Obasi and Dan O’Connor, fellows at the UH institute fighting health disparities called UH HEALTH (Helping Everyone Achieve a Life Time of Health) Research Institute, the community collaborative program is reporting:
- 1,350 total patients
- Prevention and screenings: 1,159
- Treatment: 207
- UH BOUNCE Childhood Obesity Program: 147 families
- Patients referred to YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program: 60
