Diabetes Self-Management Education for African Americans

DSME for African Americans
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DSME for African Americans
The article selected was “Diabetes Self-Management Education for African Americans: Using the PEN-3 Model to Assess Needs” by Ninfa Purcell and Lauren Cutchen. In particular, it focuses on how diabetes significantly affects African Americans. Individuals from this demographic have a high incidence of diabetes such that it occurs in about 90%-95% of diagnosed cases (Purcell & Cutchen, 2013). Some of the factors associated with a high rate of diabetes among African Americans include obesity, history of diabetes in the family, older age, ethnicity, physical inactivity, gestational diabetes, and impaired glucose metabolism. The paper focuses on how diabetes affects African Americans, the PEN-3 model’s cultural identity factors, and discusses how culture influences health care among members of the chosen community.
Overview of Diabetes among African Americans, Statistics about the Scope of the Problem, and Its Health Implications
The diabetes prevalence rates among African Americans (18.7%) are approximately double compared to their white (10.2%) counterparts. In addition, the mortality rate of black people per 100,000 is over twice that of whites, which is 41.3% and 19.1%, respectively. The number of African American adults suffering from diabetes is projected to rise to 9,517,200 by 2025, which is a 72% increase (Purcell & Cutchen, 2013). The disparities emanating from diabetes result in socioeconomic barriers, such as poverty, lack of insurance, and a high rate of illiteracy. Besides, African Americans have hyperinsulinemia and a phenotype of low insulin sensitivity due to decreased hepatic insulin clearance and increased insulin secretion (Goedecke & Olsson, 2020). When it comes to black individuals with diabetes residing in rural areas, they encounter numerous challenges, such as the lack or high cost of medications, stress, sleeping problems due to the fluctuations of blood glucose, and the experience of living with the disease. However, culturally sensitive diabetes self-management education (DSME) has been identified as the most effective strategy to address this problem.
PEN-3 Cultural Identity Factors of African Americans with Diabetes
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African Americans have unique individual characteristics, cultural values, attitudes, norms, and beliefs that influence their health-seeking behavior. For example, black people have strong beliefs in God, which is a crucial resource for the management of diabetes. Although some believe that diabetes is predestined by supernatural forces, they know that specific behaviors, such as eating too much sugar can cause the disease. Herbalists, friends, and families are positive facilitators for African Americans’ adherence to diabetes management (Purcell & Cutchen, 2013). However, fatalism, which entails the feeling of despair, hopelessness, and powerlessness, has adverse effects on black individuals’ abilities to control or manage diabete...