Health Promotion Issue: Diabetes in Indigenous Australians

This report identifies the reasons behind the increased spread of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal Australians and discusses suitable nursing interventions. It focuses on the importance of a healthy diet as an intervention and provides conclusions regarding diabetic health issues and their cure.

Health promotion
issue

Executive summary
This report is presented with the aim of identification of reasons behind rising number of
Indigenous Australians suffering from diabetes and the nursing interventions that can be adopted
in order to cure them. In this report, the reasons behind increase of spread of type 2 diabetes in
Aboriginal Australians have been discussed and out of all the available interventions, the most
suitable interventions have been identified. The importance and reason of choosing ‘Healthy
Diet’ as an apt nursing intervention for this issue is discussed and appropriate conclusions
regarding diabetic health related issues and its cure will be made.

Table of Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................4
Health promotion issue................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The increased transition pace of Aboriginal Australians from their traditional lifestyle values
to a modern one has led to increased spread of some serious health issues amongst them which
were earlier never found amongst these communities. One of these increased health issues is the
spread of Type 2 diabetes due to this lifestyle change (Lahme, Stern and Cooper, 2018). In this
report, the reason behind increased spread of this type 2 diabetes has been identified and various
health promotion issues regarding the type 2 diabetes have been discussed. Further, this report
will also identify the various nursing intervention available for cure of such diabetic problem in
the Indigenous Australians (Verra and et.al., 2019). After proper literature review, those
intervention which will help in curing this disease most effectively would be discussed along
with the correct rationale for selecting these interventions amongst other interventions (Diabetes
Mellitus, 2016). This report will also discuss various theories available under healthcare
promotion of type 2 diabetes’ interventions that can be implemented to educate the Aboriginal
Australians regarding healthcare practices which can be adopted and lastly, this report will also
include a critical analysis of different approaches adopted for promotion of healthcare services at
local, national and international level in Australia for educating such indigenous Australians has
been made (Suchert and et.al., 2018).
MAIN BODY
Health promotion issue
Diabetes is health issue in which blood glucose level increases at a very high level (Jacklin
and et.al., 2017). It mainly occurs when insulin created by pancreas stops lowering blood glucose
level or when body stopes creating sufficient insulin to lower blood glucose level. There are
mainly two type of diabetes: First is type 1 diabetes and second is type 2 diabetes. In type 1
diabetes body does not make insulin whereas in type 2 diabetes body does not make or use
sufficient insulin required by the body to lower blood glucose level. In this type 2 diabetes is
growing at much higher level as compared to type 1 diabetes (Adegbija, Hoy and Wang, 2015).
In Australia most of the people are affected by type 2 diabetes mostly and one of the most
prominent reason for this is obesity and unawareness. Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest
growing chronic disease in Australia. In Australia as compared to general population Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes (Day and Helson, 2015).
Aboriginal communities who live at remote areas are at higher risk of this disease because they

are still missing diabetic care which is easily available to general population. Health promotion
campaigns that are bring done so that awareness related to type 2 diabetes can be spread and
people can get aware about this disease and ways in which they can prevent it from happening
(Crowshoe and et.al., 2018). As compared to other population Aboriginal people are 4 times
more likely to have type 2 diabetes and 12 time more likely to die from this disease. Not only
this due to this unawareness risk of developing complications from diabetes at quite a young age
is also increasing (Robertson and et.al., 2016).
Type 2 diabetes is becoming one of the main reason due to which various complications
such as eye disease, kidney disease, higher risk of stroke or heart attack, nerve damage and
various other (Gibson and Segal, 2015). One of the main reason due to which type 2 diabetes is
becoming premiant in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is their traditional lifestyle
and unawareness about the disease and its prevention. A research suggests that Aboriginal people
who are more exposed to western lifestyle have adopted low fibre and rich sugar level food
which is not only affecting their metabolism but is also making them prone to type 2 diabetes
(Rütten, Lueschen and von Lengerke, 2015). Australian government is taking initiatives to
fight and reduce diabetes in Aboriginal people in various ways. Various kinds of prevention
campaigns are being initiated to increase awareness in Aboriginal people (Whitehead, 2018). It
has become extremely important to increase diabetes awareness among Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people as it is becoming more and more a life threatening disease for them and
they are becoming more pro0ne to develop type 2 diabetes with various kinds of risk factors
associated with it (Sellers and et.al., 2016). It is one of the major health promotion issue which is
faced by Australian government so that these people can take a initiative towards a healthy
diabetes free life.
Compare and contra intervention implemented to individual behavior change
It can be identified that in Aboriginal people there is high rise in chronic disease specially
diabetes. So, Road to good health enables in promoting healthy lifestyle to individual, family,
etc. In this there are several strategies followed (Allen and Flack, 2016). This has resulted in
bringing change in people behavior. The strategies are as follows :-
Healthy diet- this strategy is designed to support Aboriginal people to choose and eat healthy
foods. Here, a more nutritious diet plan is provided to them. It has highly influence adult

behavior. They are now preventing to eat junk food. It has changed their habits of choosing food
as well.
Weight measurement – This is another intervention in which focus on keeping proper weight
and stay on track. Due to this their behavior is influenced (Bowden and Manning, 2016). People
is doing exercise and maintaining their weight. They are self monitoring themselves and taking
prevention.