Diabetes education materials: recommendations of tribal leaders, Indian health professionals, and American Indian community members.

PURPOSE: The Association of American Indian Physicians, the only national organization of its kind, conducted a series of focus groups to gather input from tribal leaders, Indian health professionals, and American Indian community members to guide the development of culturally appropriate diabetes education materials for the National Diabetes Education Program. METHODS: During the focus groups, participants shared their experiences with and recommendations for a variety of diabetes education materials. RESULTS: Overall, 95% of participants expressed a strong preference for diabetes education materials relevant to their specific tribe or culture. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations from these focus groups were used to develop a national diabetes education campaign for American Indian communities.