PEN-3 Completion and Reflection

PEN-3 Completion and Reflection
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PEN-3 Completion and Reflection
Part 1: Completion and Reflection
PEN-3 model has developed into vital health promotion and disease prevention framework. This is model now has various uses as it allows examination of several behavioral factors within cultures by health educators. Since the model was created, it has been used for diabetes prevention, assessing diabetes knowledge, managing Diabetes, breast cancer self-examination, malaria treatment, and many other interventions in different populations. Utilizing a framework that considers culture and other factors is essential as culture is a significant component of behavioral diversity (Westerman, 2010). The PEN-3 model consists of three domains: cultural identity, relationships, expectations, and cultural empowerment, each having three components that can be employed to assess behavioral factors surrounding diabetes prevalence among African Americans.
African Americans showcase varying characteristics in the PEN-3 model when assessing their understanding and perception of diabetes. African Americans rank highly in obesity trends, with 11.7% of the population having a positive diagnosis. In 2018, non-Hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes. African American adults also record a high obesity rate, with 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than whites. From the above data, cultural identity is a factor in understanding diabetes prevalence among African Americans. Principally, those with a positive history of diabetes view the Diabetes consequences as very severe due to immediate interaction with the family members suffering from the disease. Also, the extended family used active strategies to influence physical activity behaviors, and they employed direct influences in addressing diabetes among those affected. Neighborhood characteristics bear impacts on the prevalence of diabetes among African Americans. Neighborhoods should help reduce the rate at which African Americans develop diabetes by using policymakers to address environmental determinants of health problems. However, most African Americans live in less wealthy residential neighborhoods with limited access to healthcare facilities.
The prevalence and perceptions of diabetes among African Americans can also be explored through PEN-3 relationship expectations. The long-term complications of diabetes drive the perceptions. For instance, fatalism brought fear among communities, and they viewed diabetes as a deadly disease (Warzak et al., 2011). This made the people develop anxiety towards the condition and has got the urge to come up with solutions towards controlling the effects of diabetes. African Americans also showcase the expression of denial, acceptance, and hope resulting from the belief that diabetes is a deadly disease that one cannot survive. This has enabled many to cope with the disease positively. Also, the belief that diabetes is unavoidable and leads to death has permeated the prevention and treatment ideas among African Americans, negatively impacting African Americans as they develop awe and a sense of powerlessness.
African Ameri...