Analysis of Type 2 Diabetes as a Population Health Issue In the United States

Introduction

A disease is considered as a population health issue if it meets specific criteria that require it to be seen as culturally appropriate, politically acceptable and financially possible. In this case, I will analyze type 2 diabetes which is considered as a population health issue. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition associated with the body's inability to utilize the insulin produced appropriately. This result to glucose building up in blood instead of being used as energy, leading to a condition known as hyperglycemia (American Diabetes Association. 2014).Insulin hormone helps regulate glucose obtained from the food we eat in the body. The population at risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes are adults aged 18 years and above due to their high vulnerability to the risk factors associated with the type 2 diabetes. Some of the risk factors include obesity, physical inactivity, raised blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels which leads to cardiovascular complications. The signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes include feeling tired and low energy levels, blurred sight and cuts that do not heal quickly.

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A study by centers for disease control and Prevention (CDC) shows that type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all the diagnosed cases of diabetes among adults in the United States. In 2015, 1.5 million new cases of type 2 diabetes were reported among adults in the United States. A majority were of age 18 years and older, more than half of the newly diagnosed cases were among adults aged 45 to 65 years, and the number was almost equal for both men and women (American Diabetes Association. 2014). According to centers for disease control and prevention 29.1 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes but 8.1 million may be undiagnosed or unaware of their condition. Diabetes is among the leading cause deaths in the United States. In 2015, 79,535 death certificates listed diabetes as the underlining cause of death and 252,806 deaths certificated listed diabetes as the contributing factor of death (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014). The increase in the number of cases of diabetes in the United States has resulted in the rise in government expenditure on health. The diagnosed cases of diabetes in 2012 cost the United States an estimated 245 billion dollars; this cost is expected to be on the rise due to the Increase in the number of diabetes cases (American Diabetes Association. 2014).

The Advocacy Campaigns Researched in the Area

The two types of advocacy campaign in the United States include the awareness campaign and the policy advocacy campaign.

Awareness campaign involves the educating or enlightening the population on specific health issues. The awareness campaign ensured that the target population in the United States understood the basics of type 2 diabetes, for example, the risk factor and the signs and symptoms of diabetes. The awareness initiative helped spread knowledge to the entire population thus enlightening the community on ways to curb the disease. The awareness campaign on type 2 diabetes was conducted through various techniques that include, informative lectures, conferences on diabetes and through the traditional campaign that consists of use leaflets that were spread to the community pharmacies. Information was also spread through internet blogs that highlight the diabetes issues and lobbied for peer-to-peer communication (Fransen, et al. 2012). Awareness campaigns aimed to advocate for change in lifestyle among people with or at risk of diabetes; this involved some components that range from nutrition and diet to increased exercise.

The policy advocacy is the active and in divalent support for a particular policy. Policy advocacy campaign aim was to initiate policies that if implemented could help broadly in upholding the health of the population and help curb type 2 diabetic cases. Such policies include, first, primary prevention laws passed in eight states in the United States to promote access to healthy environments for adults in the community and workplace (Fransen, et al. 2012). Secondly, increased government funding for diabetes prevention and research programs such as centers for disease control and the national diabetes prevention programs. For example, the federal institute for diabetes and digestive kidney disease which is the leading supporter of diabetes treatment and cure received 75 million dollars less in funding in 2014 than in 2010 (American Diabetes Association. 2014).Thirdly, increased government investment to support healthy food access since consumption of healthy food does not only help in the prevention of type 2 diabetes but also help in mitigating the consequences of type 2 diabetes for those diagnosed with it. In the United States, 14.3 percent of the households were food insecure, and 23.5 million people lived in areas without fresh, affordable food (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014). Policy advocacy also had the aim of mobilizing and coordinating resources meant for community-based initiatives.

Attributes That Made Those Campaigns Effective

The First attribute that made the campaign effective was the extensive coverage. The campaigners intended to reach a vast number of people during the awareness campaigns on type 2 diabetes; this was successful due to the use of convenient means of communication. For example, there was the use of brochures and leaflets spread to the community, pharmacy and also in the internet blogs on diabetes. The purpose of flyers ensured that the population in the remote areas had access to the information which was a success in the control and prevention of type 2 diabetes.

The second factor is communication credibility. The messages and communication channels used during the advocacy campaigns were well structured and managed, this fostered practical understanding of the message by the target population. For example, they used simple language that was easily understood by the population. The messages were adequately prepared to ensure that it was fascinating and of interest to the target population. For example, during informative lectures and conferences, the campaigners would use both the verbal and non-verbal means of communication to ensure the target population easily understood the information (knickman& kovner, 2015). To ensure consistency, follow up campaigns were conducted through the media.

Proposed Policy Solution

The leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes is the lifestyle change. Therefore, it's vital to observe lifestyle nutrition and behaviors. In the United States, research shows that obesity and decline in physical exercises have led to the increase of type 2 diabetes (Fransen, et al. 2012).The proposed policy solution aims at encouraging the population to consume standardized diets and also engage in physical activities regularly (Knickman &koverner, 2015). The United States government and public health authorities should emphasize the importance of observing proper nutritional diet and weight reduction among the overweight and obese through an increase in physical activities. Current guidelines require an individual to engage in physical activates on at least five days per week (Knickman &koverner, 2015). An increase in physical activities is linked to improvement in insulin sensitivity in the body thus having a positive effect on the prevention of type 2 diabetes. In order lifestyle interventions to be successful, various changes in the government policies will be required in addition to the community-based program. The changes will include, nutrition education in schools and discouraging advertisement of unhealthy products.

Another proposed policy solution is to encourage diabetes screening. Screening helps in the early detection of diabetes and pre-diabetes. There is approximately 35 percent of the population in the United States with pre-diabetes and 7 million with undiagnosed diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014). Prediabetes is a condition that affects one in every three adults; therefore a screening test is recommended for early detection to avoid complications. Type 2 diabetes screening can be achieved through, first, conducting screening camps whose main aim is to enhance the awareness of diabetes at the community level, the Hospitals or local non-governmental organization can organize screening camps. Also, there was the use of opportunistic screening model. Opportunistic screening relies on the detection of the disease when a patient presents him or herself to the health provider with other health complains.

Specific Objectives of the Policy to Be Implemented

Type 2 diabetes affects the population negatively this is due to the substantial economic, social and personal cost experienced during the prevention and treatment. Given the enormous health impact of type 2 diabetes, primary prevention should be a significant priority. The first objective is to improve the quality of care for the people with or at risk of type 2 diabetes. The goal is achieved by use of policy related strategies such as primary prevention laws within the healthcare organization that contribute and helps sustain the quality care improvement for people with diabetes. The quality care for diabetes can be achieved through various ways that include, first, provision of self-management education and support to people with or at risk of diabetes to help make informed decisions and take up responsibilities for the daily management of the disease. Second Management of diabetes to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes this is achieved through activities that such as, increased physical activity and weight loss (Fransen, et al. 2012).

The second objective is the diabetes action plan legislation which aims to enhance collaboration across state agencies such United States department of health and any other agency responsible for the state employee health benefits (American Diabetes Association. 2014). The diabetes action plan involves various things such as, current efforts by each state agency to address diabetes and the availability of data illustrating the impact and cost of diabetes by each agency. The legislative action will ensure a healthy lifestyle for the entire population whereby the government and it employs in the social, health and economic welfare should introduce an integrated approach towards the prevention of type 2 diabetes rather than treating the symptoms

Substantiation of the Proposed Campaign

Research shows that diabetes is preventable through weight loss, physical activity, and healthy eating (Fransen, et al. 2012).

Community empowerment can highly increase physical activity. For example, community empowerment motivated a community in Chennai to construct a public park with their funds, which suggests that community involvement can strengthen government efforts (American Diabetes Association. 2014).

The healthcare system needs to transition from a reactive to a proactive perspective with the need for prevention and approach the diabetes issue on a population basis beyond caring for the individual patient. (knickman& kovner, 2015).

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). National diabetes statistics report, 2014: estimates of diabetes and its burden in the United States. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services.

Fransen, M. P., von Wagner, C., & Essink-Bot, M. L. (2012). Diabetes self-management in patients with low health literacy: ordering findings from literature in a health literacy framework. Patient education and counseling, 88(1), 44-53....