Module 2 - SLP *****I HAVE ATTACHED MODULE 1 SLP YOU COMPLETED***** PLANNING HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMS: NEEDS ASSESSMENT For this component of your SLP, based on the public health topic you selected i
DIABETES 6
Diabetes Mellitus
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Introduction
A person is said to be diabetic when he or she has high blood sugar. This may be due to low insulin production by the pancreas or the cells in the body are not responding appropriately to insulin (Lal, 2016). Diabetes mellitus can also be due to both issues which are the pancreas being unable to make sufficient insulin that is required and the cell not responding appropriately to insulin. The food we eat is supposed to be processed and changed to glucose or sugars so that it can be used as energy and when a person is diabetic the food not properly processed to be used as energy. Insulin is used to aid glucose into getting in the cells of the human body, if the pancreas is unable to make sufficient insulin or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin then sugars accumulate in the human blood leading to diabetes.
The two types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is a consequence of the pancreas being unable to make sufficient insulin leading to the patients taking insulin injections to supplement. Type 1 diabetes affects people in early teenage years or adulthood. The cells in the body may resist insulin or the pancreas may not be able to make sufficient insulin leading to type 2. 90% of all people suffering from diabetes in the world are Type 2 while 10% of them are Type 1 (Lal, 2016). People suffering from diabetes can treat and manage the condition through lifestyle change that includes monitoring blood sugar levels, taking medication as prescribed by the physician, maintain a balanced diet and engaging in physical activities.
Magnitude of the Disease
The number of current cases is likely to increase as more people are diagnosed with the condition daily. According to the CDC Diabetes Report card (2018), the prevalence rate of diabetes mellitus is high among blacks than whites. African American is more likely to develop diabetes than whites. The numbers among African Americans have increased over the last 30 years leading to increased diabetic complications like amputations and kidney failure. The leading cause of diabetes among African Americans are biological risk factors including obesity. The prevalence rate of obesity among African Americans is the major risk factor of diabetes. The other cause is resistance to insulin among African Americans. The rate of complications among African Americans is also high due to racial disparities in healthcare in the U.S. and poor glycemic control.
Diabetes incidence shows the rate at which new cases are diagnosed and has been going down from 2015 (CDC, 2018). The number of new diabetes mellitus had been on the increase from the 80’s until the year 2015 when the number of new cases started decreasing. However, it is estimated that 1 in 3 Americans have a blood sugar that is greater than what is usually considered normal. They cannot be considered to be diabetic because the blood sugar levels are below the limit. The number of diabetics has been on the rise with estimates of over 34 million by 2020. This can also be attributed to certain policies that have allowed people with diabetes mellitus to live longer. Diabetes self-management education programs have been on the rise with more people having access to them. Diabetes self-management involves lifestyle change where the person is able to manage the disease through monitoring their blood sugar levels, taking medications as prescribed by the physician, engaging in a healthy diet and physical exercises. These education programs have been able to reach most people with more diabetics opting to managing the disease. Managing the disease allows the person to avoid the risk of complications. This policy of diabetes self-management education has had an effect on public health in improving the quality of life and prolonging the lives of people living with diabetes. People are able to make informed decisions about their health as they are able to manage the conditions.
Social Determinants of Diabetes Mellitus
Health disparities is high in the U.S. leading to increased complications among African Americans. These health disparities have increased the prevalence rate of diabetes among African Americans. This is because health disparities have a major impact on the outcomes of the patients. Health disparities like related to African Americans include glycemic control, blood pressure control and lipid control. Social determinants of health are the environment where people are born, live, age and the healthcare system (Walker et al., 2016). The connection between diabetes and social determinants is strong as it involves economic status, level of education and neighbourhood. This is because the risk factor of diabetes mellitus is high among those with low socioeconomic condition. The diabetes-related mortality rate is higher with people with lower education. The number of people with diabetes mellitus is high among those with less than high school education (CDC, 2018). According to CDC Report Card (2018), socioeconomic position is one of the important determinants when implementing effective interventions for diabetes mellitus. Those with college education have access to information about diabetes self-management and are more likely to manage the condition. Low health literacy and financial distress are likely to lead to depression one of the poor health outcomes in diabetes.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes Report Card 2017. (2018). Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Lal, B Suresh. (2016). DIABETES: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS.
Walker J. Rebekah., Williams Joni & Leonard Egede. (2016). Influence of Health, Ethnicity and Social Determinants of Health on Diabetes Outcomes. The American Journal of Medical Sciences Symposium Article Volume 351 Issue 4 P366-373.
