OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of a language-sensitive diabetes education program on dietary changes and plasma lipid profiles. METHOD: Hispanic participants (n=13 males and 18 females, mean age = 54.00 + 10.68 years) participated in a 3-month health education study. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to evaluate correlations between dietary intake and laboratory measurements. RESULTS: There were significant decreases in serum total cholesterol (-16.07 mg/dl, P= 0.035), HDL cholesterol (-3.23 mg/dl, P = 0.01), LDL cholesterol (-11.71 mg/dl, P = 0.013) and dietary cholesterol (-79.22 mg, P = 0.03). No significant mean change was observed in triglyceride and total cholesterol/HDL ratio. There was also a reduction in body mass index (BMI) (-0.15 kg/m(2), P = 0.40), fasting glucose (-3.90 mg/dl, P = 0.43) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) total fat (-0.50, P = 0.97). Although not statistically significant, saturated fatty acids (-4.90 g, P = 0.19), polyunsaturated fatty acids (-3.31g, P = 0.11), and carbohydrate (-44.82 g, P = 0.22), decreased after three months. CONCLUSION: There were significant improvements in dietary intake and serum lipids after a three-month culture-specific diabetes education program.