Diabetes is a chronic illness which causes a person to have a high concentration of blood glucose due to body cells not reacting or respond to insulin. Additionally, the high blood glucose can be as a result of inadequate production of insulin in the body. The objective of this program is to reduce the annual number of new cases of diagnosed diabetes in the population. In addition to boosting the quality of life of individuals that are deemed to be at risk of contracting the disease or those who have already been affected by the condition.
Relevance of the objective to the USA and HP2020
If diabetic patients do not get early treatment or poorly manage their condition they risk blindness, foot ulcers, stroke, hypertension, amputations, and death (Healthy People 2020, 2014). Additionally, the costs incurred in managing the disease are high; therefore, there is the need to address the disease within the shortest time period.The data from the HP2020 gives detail information on the prevalence of diabetes across the country and possible health complications which can arise if diabetes is not managed. From the HP 2020 data, it has been established that this condition has got a direct effect on the lives of close to 23.6 million Americans a situation that makes it be gauged at position 7 amongst the disease that are leading causes of death in the United States. Taking into consideration that this condition increases the risks of cardiovascular complications by between 2 to 4 times and that life expectancy slumps to less than 15 years, it is imperative that corrective measures be taken to solve this problem once and for all. Additionally, with the increasing prevalence rates of the condition in the United States and also throughout the world, the complexity of providing the required care to the affected and infected persons increase thereby crushes the abilities of the current care providers in solving the problem.
Significance of the topic and objective
The two objectives that are to create awareness of the problem resulting from diabetes and inform the public why there is the need to establish a community health promotion program to help in providing information to the public concerning this illness and necessary method that can be employed to prevent and manage diabetes in the society. A community which has effectively managed its diabetes levels is in a better position to deal with any new cases of the condition and also propose ways which can be used in effectively addressing them. A community free from diabetes is a productive community; a situation which makes it able to contribute to the country’s economic development.
Examples of nursing initiatives from the journal article
Nurse have an important role to play in curbing the prevalence of diabetes by educating the public about the illness and consequences of this chronic disease if drastic measures are not taken promptly to address it. According to the article one of the methods which can be used to reduce the prevalence of diabetes is through lifestyle changes where an individual will engage in healthy behaviors such as engaging in physical exercise, quit smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight, manage stress, taking nutritious meals and proper foot care (Whittemore et al., 2014).
Roles of the nurse in the initiative
A nurse can play a significant role in educating the public about illness, where to access treatment, blood test and methods which can be used to manage diabetes. Additionally, public health nurses in the initiative played the role of training community health workers with the objectives of having them extend this knowledge to the communities they serve in terms of health education, social support, health screening and cultural meditation.
Results of the initiative
The expected result is having a large portion of the population going for a blood test to know their diabetic status. Workshop centers aimed at addressing the problem will be set up with the objectives of having checks on the individuals’ blood sugar levels, providing advice to the affected groups and encourage public involvement in physical exercise programs and the correct nutrition. The ultimate result of the program is having the public adopting healthy lifestyle and reduction on the prevalence of diabetes. Additionally, nurses are also tasked with assisting type 2 diabetics with methods that they can utilize in achieving psychological adjustments, changing their health behaviors and also utilizing a health promotion program aimed at improving clinical outcomes. An example of the health promotion program was aimed at smoking cessation since nicotine has been proved to act opposite to insulin. As such, the rates at which blood glucose is broken down delays thereby increase the risks of individuals in contracting the condition. Therefore, by communities having this kind of information, it becomes easy for them to be conscious of how to handle the condition in order to prevent any cases of undesirable outcomes. The involvement of the community health workers in the initiative was also crucial in realizing the objectives of the initiative since they were closer to the participants. Therefore, it became easier for community members to benefit from the results of initiative in terms of the required lifestyle changes with the objective of preventing any further dwindling of the condition amongst the populations.
Effectiveness of the initiative
The initiative was effective in the sense that it has provided the life-threatening consequences of diabetes if it is not well managed. Additionally, the initiative has provided mechanisms which can be employed to reduce diabetes. Communities have now been wary of how they are supposed to take care of themselves and the corrective mechanisms that they are supposed to put in place so as to prevent any further deterioration of the condition. Armed with proper information about lifestyle reforms like involving in physical exercises and taking foods lower in carbohydrates, it becomes easier for persons to address any possibilities of contracting the disease in future.
The role of the initiative in achieving the HP2020 objective
The program has helped the achievement of HP 2020 by creating public awareness about diabetes and the methods which diabetic patients can use to manage it (Healthy People 2020, 2014). From this realization, it will be easier for people to increase their quality of life since they won’t be afraid of any the outcomes of the disease. This is so because the undesirable effects of the disease have already been addressed from the beginning. Additionally, knowledge gained from this initiative is crucial in reducing the levels of morbidity of the condition, therefore, ensuring that the costs of taking care of the condition are low and that the communities emerge strong for the purposes of contributing to the economic development of the country.
Conclusively, Irrespective of where it is established, the primary goal of the program ought to focus on educating the target group about diabetes to increase awareness about the disease and have people change their behavior in line with addressing the problem adequately. Homecare nurses will be involved in this process in educating masses about the treatment options available and the lifestyle changes that can be used to prevent and control diabetes (Whittemore et al., 2014). Persons with family histories of the disease can also be educated on how to reduce the potential of contracting the disease and the effective methods that they can put into use to assist in addressing any increasing comorbidities associated with the disease. Secondly, by encouraging lifestyle changes such as healthy eating patterns and overcoming barriers to engaging in physical exercise have been seen to attain high-quality lives, prevent injuries and premature deaths. Thirdly, by using simplified language and common phrases including food names to ensure every person in the target group understand instructions and advice given by the nurses, it proved effective in eliminating disparities, achieving health equity and generally improve the health of all groups. Moreover, by carrying out this program both in the rural and in the public housing communities, it has ensured all the effectiveness of the program in different settings is achieved. Finally, the program involved homecare health nurses having discussions with the participants with the objectives of developing the appropriate remedies for the condition and also the appropriate lifestyle changes that people who have not been affected yet can utilize to prevent infection chances. Such a move led healthy development, promotion of the quality of life and also improving healthy behaviors across different life stages.
References
Healthy People 2020. (2014). Diabetes | Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/diabetes
Whittemore, R., Rosenberg, A., Gilmore, L., Withey, M., & Breault, A. (2014). Implementation of a Diabetes Prevention Program in Public Housing Communities. Public Health Nursing, 31(4), 317-326.
