Gladys Ekong, PhD

About me

I am an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Western New England University, Springfield, Massachusetts. I earned my doctoral degree in Health Outcomes Research and Policy from Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy.

My research projects are focused on health behavior change for diabetes management and prevention, vaccination behavior, healthcare data analytics, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). My research areas reflect my expertise in health outcomes research and policy. I am the program director for a CDC-recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program at WNE. I teach courses in the pharmacy program and master’s program at WNE. The courses I teach include research methods & data analytics, biostatistics, pharmacy practice management, and healthcare communications.

Gladys Ekong, B.Pharm, PhD

Associate Professor

College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Western New England University

Phone: 413 796 2440

Email: gladys.ekong@wne.edu

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Selected work

Assessing Diabetes Prevention Behaviors and Mental Health Risks in Adults

Research Summary: There is an abundance of literature showing that people with younger-onset type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk of premature morbidity and mortality as compared to those with type 1 diabetes and later-onset type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, there is an increasing prevalence of younger-onset diabetes. This IRB-approved study applied several validated measures to assess the prevalence of younger-onset prediabetes, type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes, and this will inform future research for pharmacists to develop targeted interventions. In addition, we assessed research objectives 2 and 3 in both younger and older populations. Objective #2 focuses on preventive behaviors for diabetes, and objective #3 on the prevalence of mental health comorbidities, which have been shown to impact diabetes management and prevention.

Sustaining and Expanding the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP)

I completed two certificate programs to better serve people living with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. I received a Nutrition certificate and a Weight loss Specialist certificate from the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM). I offer comprehensive student training sessions for diabetes prevention and technology-driven behavioral interventions and integrate DPP training into the PharmD curriculum. To implement a successful National DPP, pharmacy students must be prepared and confident in their abilities to provide clinical services and engage patients in lifestyle change interventions. In addition, I assess students’ readiness and self-efficacy to offer lifestyle change programs and engage patients in behavior change interventions.

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