Jill Valde, PhD, RN, associate professor (clinical) at UI’s College of Nursing has been selected to join the American Diabetes Association's Prevention Committee.

The invitation to serve on this prominent committee can be largely attributed to the notable work that Dr. Valde has done in developing a prevention program that is administered in schools across Eastern Iowa.

An example of this type of preventative research can be found in the November 2011 edition of the Journal of Community Health Nursing in which Dr. Valde’s article titled “Community Program to Prevent Diabetes in School Children [1]” was published.

According to the article’s abstract, “there is an alarming increase in obesity and type- 2 diabetes in children. This article describes the process used to develop a diabetes prevention education program led by a group of volunteers from a community. Professionals in the field of nursing, education, nutrition, physical education, and fitness combined their expertise to develop content on diabetes and healthy life styles for third and fourth graders.”

This national ADA committee provides expert guidance in the area of prevention of diabetes. It will oversee the development and enhancement of the Association’s primary prevention goals and program strategies.  

Valde’s two-year term begins January, 1, 2013.

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The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to stop diabetes and its deadly consequences. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives a voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. To learn more, visit www.diabetes.org [2].