Virtual World Health Behavior Counseling for Patients With Diabetes

This study will provide health education to African-American women with type 2 diabetes either face to face, or using the Internet. The study seeks to determine how feasible the internet method is for this type of health education, and how it compares to the face to face method. Patients will be recruited from Boston Medical Center. They will do baseline surveys and have blood drawn. They will then be randomized into receiving their diabetes education in a face to face group at BMC, or receiving it online while at home. The online group will receive a computer to access the Internet program and Internet access. Both groups will participate in 8 diabetes education groups, and 4 individual counseling sessions. Subjects will complete surveys before and after the study to measure changes in physical activity, diet, and use of medications, and will have blood tests drawn at BMC before and after the study to measure changes in diabetes control, cholesterol. They will also have blood pressure measured before and after the study period.