Diabetes PSA

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes among African Americans is nearly double the rate estimated in the general population of the U.S.  Rates of long-term complications from type 2 diabetes are much higher among African Americans due to poor glycemic control, low health literacy, high rates of poverty, and/or limited access to health care.  Diabetes is a disease that requires consistent self-management to prevent such complications as visual impairment, kidney disease, and leg amputations.  Individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can control the disease and reduce complications by controlling blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention [CDC], 2012).

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death for the nation, but it represents the 5th leading cause of death for African Americans.  Placing greater emphasis on diabetes self-management (DSM) for those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and emphasizing prevention in at risk individuals, are key factors for reducing diabetes prevalence.  Prevention strategies include controlling risk factors such as diet, physical activity, and weight.

 

 

A study by Utz et al. (2008) identified many of the challenges and barriers that must be overcome to provide much needed diabetes self-management education (DSME) and prevention services in the African American population, particularly in rural settings.  Primary barriers include poor health care service availability, a minimal number of trained specialists in rural areas, cost of care, lack of knowledge about accessing services, complex diabetes self-care instructions, and shame or stigma associated with diabetes.  The next phase of the study addressed the researchers' main goal of assessing if an individual educational approach or culturally relevant group intervention worked best in rural African American populations.  The study revealed that group DSME led to greater compliance with preventive behaviors such as diet and exercise, as compared to individual intervention.  Additionally, group participants exhibited a greater level of confidence in their ability to manage their diabetic condition (Utz et al., 2008).  For health educators, the results of this study revealed potential obstacles to diabetes education, while further illustrating the importance of determining the best setting and method of delivery for reaching a priority population with an intervention.

 

References

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Black or African American populations: 10 leading causes of death for African Americans in 2009. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/black.html

 

Utz, S. W., Williams, I. C., Jones, R., Hinton, I., Alexander, G., Yan, G., ... Oliver, M. N. (2008). Culturally tailored intervention for rural African Americans with type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Educator, 34, 854-865. doi:10.1177/0145721708323642