A Culturally Sensitive Intervention for African Americans with T2DM Article Review

Decreasing Diabetes in the African American Community Through Health EducationDespite aggressive public health awareness campaigns in recent years as well as intensive research concerning efficacious treatments, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) continues to increase among the African American population in general and among black males in particular. In fact, more than 3 million African Americans currently suffer from T2DM and this population is twice as likely to experience severe complication such as lower extremity amputations, blindness and end-stage renal disease as a result of their disease compared to whites. Although every individual is unique, of course, there is growing recognition among public health educators that far too many African Americans fail to recognize the effects of lifestyle choices on the severity of this chronic disease. The purpose of this paper is to review a study by Collins-McNeil, J. et al. (2013) which sought to fill the knowledge gap concerning the ways in which individual lifestyles can exacerbate the problems that many African Americans suffering from T2DM and the challenges they typically experience in making lifestyle changes to better manage their disease. Following the review, the paper provides a summary of the studys findings in the conclusion.1. What was the purpose of the study?In response to the sustained increase in the prevalence of T2DM among African American males, Collins-McNeil, J. et al. (2013) used a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of using a 12-week diabetes self-management educational initiative in a church-based cultural targeted (CBCT) program setting designed for African American males in their middle and older ages.2. What research methodology did the author(s) use?The 12-week diabetes self-management educational initiative was piloted with a sample which is described next below. The researchers collected qualitative data using…

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…subjects and the limitation to a specific region of the country, suggesting that the findings may not be fully generalizable for all African American populations in the United States.8. How is the study related to the Public Health Intervention and Policy Project topic?The research showed that T2DM is a serious a public health threat, especially among the African American community which requires additional research to identify efficacious public health interventions, a reality that also makes it a relevant and timely policy project topic.ConclusionMore than 3 million African Americans currently suffer from Type 2 diabetes mellitus and this number continues to increase year to year for reasons that remain unclear. The research was consistent in showing that the severity of the complications that are caused by this disease are exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyle choices, making interventions that focus on improving these choices an important public health…