Effectively Translating Diabetes Prevention, GCSE Coursework Example

Introduction

I attended an event on Thursday, November 6^th entitled the “African American Health Program” and sponsored by the African American Initiatives, a subsidiary of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. This program was designed to address the issues related to diabetes in the African American community. The event was designed to inform participants regarding the risks of diabetes in this community, how to address prevention across different age groups, and to empower individuals to take the steps required to prevent diabetes within their lives. The program also addressed the role that nurses play in preventing and managing diabetes within the community setting. I chose to attend this event because I am aware of the risks of diabetes for African Americans and I know many members of this population who require continuous care and treatment for diabetes.

Analysis

The community health focus is diabetes in the African American population, as they face many difficult issues regarding the disease and its impact on their lives. There is an increased need to develop programs to improve diabetes management in African Americans and to recognize the importance of the disease and its impact on this population. The program’s primary focus is best described through an acronym known as SISTERS, which signifies the following: S: Start now; I: Identify methods of exercise; S: Staying focused; T: Taking the pledge; E: Educating ourselves; R: Rally a support group; S: Stop Diabetes. The program sought to develop the knowledge within the African American population in order to prevent diabetes and to be cognizant of the ways in which the disease might be overcome and minimized as a serious health risk to the population. This program did not provide any new information regarding diabetes, but it offered a means of reintroducing the significance of the topic to the affected groups and how they might engage in prevention efforts to overcome the disease within their own lives.

Most importantly, educating African Americans regarding diabetes is a continuous challenge, perhaps because the belief is that they will not be diagnosed with the disease, or they do not have sufficient tools in place to promote prevention within their own lives (Samuel-Hodge et.al, 2014). Therefore, behavioral modification is essential through outreach provided by familiar areas of the community, such as churches, who may have a positive impact on these efforts (Faridi et.al, 2010). Programs such as “Sisters Strong Together” sponsored by the American Diabetes Association provides an opportunity for women to participate in health improvements through daily journal entries and other factors that impact their lives through education and outreach.

Programs targeted to support diabetes prevention for African Americans are essential, yet barriers to education may continue to prevail in some communities, due to the knowledge that is available and its overall ability to have a true and lasting impact on residents (Nam et.al, 2011). Therefore, additional considerations must be made that reflect the importance of using nurse-based knowledge and resources to impact residents through outreach and promotion in unique ways, such as discussion groups. Nurse intervention is likely to be helpful in areas such as improved nutrition and exercise, which may go a long way in promoting prevention of the disease in many groups; however, these efforts must be consistent and continuous in order to have the greatest possible impact (Komar-Samardzija et.al, 2012).

Programs to target diabetes prevention in African Americans must also support psychosocial needs effectively, including but not limited to the development of factors associated with new directions in care and treatment that will positively impact outcomes and relationships among community members as a means of motivating others (Mitchell & Hawkins, 2014). These practices will encourage members of this community to be proactive in making positive decisions regarding their health that will have a lasting impact on their lives (Mitchell & Hawkins, 2014). Diabetes prevention must be understood by the those who are targeted through the intervention, using models that are proven to be successful in promoting outreach and understanding within the community-based setting (Mitchell & Hawkins, 2014). These factors provide a means of enabling African Americans to make decisions within their own lives that will have a positive and lasting impact on their health, including nutrition and exercise choices that will alleviate some of the burden associated with diabetes and its long-term impact on African Americans (Horowitz et.al, 2011). The practice of education within the community must involve nurses to the extent that they are able to provide significant support to its members through their knowledge base and their ability to relate to community members in a positive manner that will contribute to effective outcomes for local residents (Horowitz et.al, 2011).

Conclusion

Diabetes prevention within the African American community requires targeted efforts that are designed to encourage its members to examine their own lifestyle choices and to improve their own behaviors and habits. These practices support and acknowledge the development of new frameworks to improve the principles of diabetes prevention and to understand the true impact of the disease on local residents. These practices demonstrate the development of ideas and approaches to encourage effective outreach by nurses directly with community members and to be cognizant of the opportunities that are available to support those who face the highest risk and who are the most vulnerable to the disease and its overall impact on their lives.

References

American Diabetes Association. Sisters Strong Together. Pp. 1-18.

Faridi, Z., Shuval, K., Njike, V. Y., Katz, J. A., Jennings, G., Williams, M., & Katz, D. L. (2010). Partners reducing effects of diabetes (PREDICT): a diabetes prevention physical activity and dietary intervention through African-American churches. Health education research, 25(2), 306-315.

Horowitz, C. R., Eckhardt, S., Talavera, S., Goytia, C., & Lorig, K. (2011). Effectively translating diabetes prevention: a successful model in a historically underserved community. Translational behavioral medicine, 1(3), 443-452.

Komar?Samardzija, M., Braun, L. T., Keithley, J. K., & Quinn, L. T. (2012). Factors associated with physical activity levels in African–American women with type 2 diabetes. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 24(4), 209-217.

Mitchell, J. A., & Hawkins, J. (2014). Current Approaches to Support the Psychosocial Care of African American Adults with Diabetes: A Brief Review. Social work in public health, 29(6), 518-527.

Nam, S., Chesla, C., Stotts, N. A., Kroon, L., & Janson, S. L. (2011). Barriers to diabetes management: patient and provider factors. Diabetes research and clinical practice, 93(1), 1-9.

Samuel?Hodge, C. D., Johnson, C. M., Braxton, D. F., & Lackey, M. (2014). Effectiveness of Diabetes Prevention Program translations among African Americans. Obesity Reviews, 15(S4), 107-124.