Family History of Diabetes, Essay Example

First and foremost, implementation must proceed in a culturally relevant and sensitive fashion. As with any other group of patients, it is important to build trust with African-American patients. The outreach stage of the campaign should proceed through clinics, since this is a good place to find diabetes patients, who probably know people who are at risk, as well as some people who are at risk but have not developed diabetes yet. Outreach should also go through churches (Frank & Grubbs, 2008, p. 96). Religious faith is very important to many African-Americans, and women have long held important roles in the historic black church, so it makes sense to go through churches (Gavin & Wright, 2007, p. S16). This first stage should not be rushed: it is perfectly acceptable for it to take a couple of months.

The cardinal marketing strategy should focus on helping people to achieve better health and prevent themselves from developing diabetes. Working through churches and other community groups is a particularly well-validated strategy (Gavin & Wright, 2007, p. S16). The education phase needs to be protracted, since one-time sessions are of limited efficacy (Frank & Grubbs, 2008, p. 99). The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes in any population is by promoting healthy eating and physical exercise in order to encourage weight loss, since being overweight is one of the biggest risk factors for the condition (Bhowmik, Hjellset, & Hussain, 2013, p. 104; Tulchinsky&Varavikova, 2009, p. 199). This phase should last at least a few weeks, and it should focus on helping with high blood glucose levels to identify this if they have not already, and to manage the condition. Regular tests of urine and blood sugar, in particular, are necessary (Tulchinsky&Varavikova, 2009, p. 199).

The overall message should be one of empowerment, helping people to take charge of their health and enjoy better quality of life. African-American women are one of the most at-risk groups for developing type 2 diabetes, for reasons that have absolutely everything to do with lower socioeconomic status as a result of historical legacies of racism and discrimination (Baptiste-Roberts et al., 2007, p. 907). Gavin and Wright (2007) note two cultural tendencies among many African-Americans that further contribute to the high incidence of obesity and thus diabetes: a tendency to live in the present, generally reinforced by poverty, and a greater willingness than most Americans to accept obesity as somehow normal (p. S15). In many cases, the practical reality for members of this group is that it is much easier for them to make the kinds of dietary and lifestyle choices that put them at risk for type 2 diabetes, as opposed to adopting behaviors that reduce the risk. To some degree this is common in the U.S. thanks to the abundance of cheap and fattening foods, but again, African-American women are especially at risk due to lower socioeconomic status and education, often correlated with poor access to healthy food and lack of knowledge of the kind that promotes self-efficacy (McCleary-Jones, 2011, pp. 26-30). The key is to help members of this group understand that they are capable, and that making better choices is something very wonderful and enjoyable that they can do for themselves (pp. 29-30).

First, people can focus on exercising. Exercising burns fat and generally helps the body lower blood sugar. Second, people can focus on proper diet, particularly by avoiding fattening or sugary foods and prioritizing fruits and vegetables. Third, participants can screen their blood sugar.

One key aspect of cultural competency is always making sure that language barriers are surmounted. All materials need to be composed with reference to the ways in which African-Americans speak, including though not limited to African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) (Gavin & Wright, 2007, pp. S15-S16). Barriers pertaining to terminology and the like need to be taken into account. Maintaining eye contact at an even level is a well-attested cultural norm in the African-American community (Gavin & Wright, 2007, p. S16). It is important to be cognizant of this, because different cultures have very different ideas about eye contact.

A key ethical issue concerns religious faith. While hardly confined to African-Americans, within the context of American culture the black community is known for high levels of religiosity (Gavin & Wright, 2007, pp. S16-S17). One must tread lightly on this subject in general, but in African-American culture there is a strong tendency toward belief in faith healing. Here, the best strategy is generally to treat these beliefs with respect, and work with pastors and others to help participants find an acceptable way to reconcile their belief in the power of God with their medical needs (Gavin & Wright, 2007, pp. S16-S17). A key legal issue is making sure that no spurious lawsuits are filed: for example, by someone claiming they followed the prescription but still got diabetes. This is why a lawyer-approved disclaimer is important. Another way to address this is through education, helping participants understand what it means to manage risk.

The campaign’s success can be evaluated by analyzing the rates of diagnosis with diabetes in the target population. Another way would be a follow-up survey with participants, asking them about their habits to see if the outreach has helped them form lasting ones.

One way in which this campaign can promote social change is by helping members of the target population to live more healthy lives, meaning they will generally live longer and be happier. This in turn will help them to feel empowered to pursue other goals in life, and to encourage others to do the same. Since many impoverished neighborhoods are food deserts, a reduced demand for unhealthy food and an increased demand for healthy food would signal a change in consumption patterns that could end up having profound market consequences.

References

Baptiste-Roberts, et al. (2007). Family history of diabetes, awareness of risk factors, and health behaviors among African Americans. American Journal of Public Health, 97(5), pp. 907-912.

Bhowmik, B., Hjellset, V.T., & Hussain, A. (2013). Global migration and prevention of diabetes. In P. Schwartz & P. Reddy (Eds.), Prevention of diabetes (pp. 94-113). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

Frank, D., & Grubbs, L. (2008). A faith-based screening/education program for diabetes, CVD, and stroke in rural African Americans. The ABNF Journal, pp. 96-10.

Gavin, J.R., & Wright, E.E. (2007). Building cultural competency for improved diabetes care: African Americans and diabetes. The Journal of Family Practice, pp. S14-S20.

McCleary-Jones, V. (2011). Health literacy and its association with diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy and disease self-management among African Americans with diabetes mellitus. The ABNF Journal, pp. 25-32.

Tulchinsky, T.H., &Varavikova, E.A. (2009). The new public health (2^nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Elsevier Academic Press.