Diabetes Prevention and Control: Health Promotion Intervention Objectives for Australia

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DIABETES PREVENTION AND CONTROL

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Introduction
Diabetes is a chronic condition affecting individuals because their body cells does not utilize
insulin produce or there is not enough insulin leading to high sugar levels. However, (WHO,
2014) defined diabetes as a chronic condition whereby pancreas does not produce enough insulin
or the body cells does not sufficiently use the insulin produced leading to high or elevated sugar
levels. The purpose of this essay is to come up with the most appropriate health promotion
intervention objectives suitable for prevention, management, and control of diabetes in Australia.
Firstly, the paper will identify literature and evidence around diabetes prevention and control.
Secondly, the paper will focus on the search strategy for the data and inclusion and exclusion
criteria for all the information searched and analyzed. Finally, I will come up with the arising
study objectives from the evidence.
Literature review
The rise in the number of cases of diabetes diagnosis has increased globally. International
Diabetes Federation (IDF, 2014) makes it clear that the increase in the total of cases is now
becoming a significant public health concern globally. IDF, (2014) also states that most people
who are affected by diabetes are of ages between 40 years and 59 years with almost 179 million
population having undiagnosed diabetes. In the year 2013, over 21 million live births were
affected while in the year 2014 the mortality rate of diabetes was 4.9 million. This kind of rise
the number of new cases of diabetes is what IDF Atlas (2012) the number of individuals
diagnosed with diabetes will have doubled by the year 2030. The above studies demonstrate the
need for more allocation of resources on diabetes management as the risk is high among the
population.

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The significant factors associated with diabetes are, lifestyle modifications, genetic, age,
socioeconomic burdens, and gender. According to Haas L, Maryniuk M, Beck J, (2013) increase
in the number of new cases of diabetes are associated with unhealthy or inadequate dietary
intake, overweight, genetic and also modifiable risk factors such as social, economic deprivation
(poverty) and use of other substances such as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking.
According to a survey conducted by (Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2015), high-risk factors for
diabetes includes overweight, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activities. From the two
studies, it is evident that there is a need for continuous health education among the risky
population to address the need for healthy diet and physical activities as they increase one’s risk
of getting diabetes.
Current trends in signs and symptoms of diabetes suggest that mostly the signs are so mild that
its difficult for someone to realize that he has diabetes condition. This makes it difficult for
people who are not well informed on diabetes to know when the sugar levels are high hence the
majority of people are only diagnosed when the sugar levels are high. A study conducted by
(CDA, 2012) stated that 35% up to 44% of people living with diabetes are only diagnosed when
the complications arise. A different study conducted by American Diabetes Association, (ADA,
2015) suggested that people should be facilitated with skills, knowledge, and ability for self-care
of diabetes by being able to know signs or symptoms of elevated sugar levels. These two studies
demonstrate that there is a need for education programs so that people are facilitated with
adequate information on self-detecting high sugar levels, know how to prevent, manage and
control.
Most countries are experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers. This makes it difficult
extensive health education to reach as many people as possible for early detection of