Health Perspectives.
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Introduction
For this discussion, I selected the topic, Diabetes self-management education for African Americans, based on Purcell and Cutchen. Most people in the United States of America have a fixed eating habit that does not correspond to the offered dietary guidelines. Most people in the country, over time, have developed a very unhealthy lifestyle. This habit’s growth results from the significant availability of various forms of fast foods and other unhealthy snacks all over the country. Most of these readily available fast foods have a higher content of fatty acids, sugars, and sodium.
Additionally, these foods lack the most fundamental nutrients essential for the human body’s growth and development. These unhealthy types of living often pose severe threats to human lives. In some cases, these unhealthy lifestyles lead to health problems that may turn out irreversible.
Diabetes Mellitus is a prevalent health condition that can be developed by various people as a result of their unhealthy styles of living. This disease is among the most common ailment suffered by the African-American community in the United States of America. To fully understand this disease, the application of the PEN-3 model is the best method to apply.
Overview Of The Health Issue
Diabetes Mellitus is a type of illness that is mostly chronic and of a long-term effect on the affected people. This disease prevents the bodies of the affected people from effectively utilizing the energy from the foods they consume. This disease increases the levels of blood glucose present in the patients’ bloodstreams due to their bodies’ inability to generate enough insulin. There are various forms in which people can get diabetes. It can either be hereditary, passed down from generation to generation (Bero, 2017). This disease may also result from people not practicing a healthy living style over a long time.
There are two major common types of diabetes; type one and type two. Type 2 diabetes is, however, the most common. It is also the most prominent type among the African-Americans. This type of diabetes makes the patients prone to other opportunistic infections like heart failure, kidney issues, and even blindness, among other severe conditions. In ‘Diabetes self-management education for African Americans: using the PEN-3 model to assess needs’ by Purcell and Cutchen, the authors noted that almost 5.5 million African American grown-ups had a diabetic condition. The authors, Purcell and Cutchen, further describe that the African American population was three times more likely to succumb to this disease than their white counterparts (Purcell & Cutchen, 2013).
‘The severity and prevalence of type 2 diabetes conditions among the community that was non-Hispanic African Americans adults aged 18 years and older was 11.5% compared to 8.5% of the non-Hispanics that were whites’ Jones et al. (2006). Several factors may be the primary cause of this observable racial disparity. Some of the most probable reasons for this disparity may be unhealthy living habits, genetics, insurance, and financial instabilities.
Culture Identity
Most of the common grounds in research also state that individuals originate from how they perceive the different aspects of their cultures and apply them to define and shape themselves. A renowned doctor, Collins Airhihenbuwa, first invented the famous model known as the PEN-3. His primary purpose for developing this model was to address various cultures’ common omissions and lead to healthy living promotion and behaviors. The doctor, along with Newsome and Iwelunmore, also added that the PEN-3 model could incorporate culture during the studies for health beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes (Iwelunmor, Newsome & Airhihenbuwa, 2017). This model has three dimensions of health beliefs and behaviors that work closely with each other to encourage better health expectations and relationships, together with other cultural empowerments and identities. PEN-3 cultural identity dimension to focus on a person, their extended families, and their neighbors.
Person
To control or prevent diabetes, the main aim is to target the younger African-American men and women and offer them adequate knowledge of the health complications and risks of diabetes (Purcell & Cutchen, 2013). People with type 2 diabetes should also be informed of various methods to control and manage the disease. These ways could be lessons on proper eating habits and adequate exercising to keep standard bodyweight.
All the extended family members of the African-American patients with this disease should also be given good education about this disease and how it can negatively affect their lives. Extended families should stretch beyond uncles, aunties, and cousins to co-workers, friends, and even other acquaintances. The authors, Purcell and Cutchen, also outlined that the health care providers associated with the patient, acquaintances, and other family members offered significant support to the patients (Purcell & Cutchen, 2013).
Neighborhood
Seminars and other public forums provided the best options to educate the African-American community on diabetes. Healthcare interventions that are church-based offered an effective platform to educate this community on this disease. It could even be the best way of reaching this community in person.
Reflection On The Required Reading
Diabetes Mellitus is a severe illness that can affect people of all races and ages. Proper lifestyles, education, and prevention can keep the disease at bay. For my essay, I picked ‘Diabetes self-management education for the African-Americans’ because I am part of the community and wanted to educate myself more on its risk and its common among my race. Diabetes poses a serious health threat and should, therefore, be addressed with utmost seriousness. It is also evident that culture plays a vital role in our health for the types of food we eat and other commonly practiced traditions. Self-awareness is the primary key to handle this issue, and unlike Caucasians and Hispanics, African-Americans are at the highest risk. They should, therefore, receive better education on the disease.
References.
Bero, L. (2017). Developing reliable dietary guidelines.
Iwelunmor, J., Newsome, V., & Airhihenbuwa, C. O. (2017). Framing the impact of culture on health: a systematic review of the PEN-3 cultural model and its application in public health research and interventions. Ethnicity & Health, 19(1), 20-46.
Purcell, N., & Cutchen, L. (2013). Diabetes self-management education for African Americans: using the PEN-3 model to assess needs. American Journal of Health Education, 44(4), 203-212.
Question
Read the following articles:
Purcell, N., & Cutchen, L. (2013). Diabetes self-management education for African Americans: Using the PEN-3 model to assess needs. American Journal of Health Education, 44(4), 203-212.
Lindberg, N. M., Stevens, V. J., & Halperin, R. O. (2013). Weight-loss interventions for Hispanic populations: The role of culture. Journal of Obesity, 2013, 542736.
Choose ONE of the articles’ topics to focus on for the rest of the SLP. You will use the information in the selected publication as you go through the phases of applying the PEN-3 model to develop a hypothetical health education program.
Write a three-page paper that includes the following:
Provide a brief overview of the health issue among the population in the article selected above, statistics about the scope of the problem, and its implications for health.
You may consider selecting one of the Module readings:
Whembolua, Conserve & Tshiswaka, 2015: Selected population is African Americans, and the Health issue is Diabetes; or
Shahbazi, Ghofranipour, Amiri & Rajab, 2018: Selected Population is Hispanics, and the Health issue is Obesity.
Describe the Cultural Identity of the population. Specifically address how each of the PEN-3 model’s three factors within Cultural Identity applies to the chosen population and provide examples. Use subheadings to clearly show that you have addressed each of the three factors. For instance, for the Whembolua, Conserve & Tshiswaka, 2015 article:
Person – Describe cultural values, beliefs, attitudes unique to African Americans and how these individual characteristics relate to individual health seeking behavior
Extended Family – Describe the role of the extended family in health decision making, cultural beliefs on health and illnesses etc.
Neighborhood – Describe the role of community influence on health behaviors, community support structures, if any etc.
Support your discussion with references from scholarly and professional references (not just your opinion).
Reflect on the required readings, the article you choose for this assignment, and your own beliefs. Then, briefly describe how culture influences health care and what you learned that could help you effectively interact with diverse cultures in the health care setting.
Length: 3 pages, excluding the cover page and the reference list.
Health Perspective