Role of Nurse in Health Promotion Strategies for Diabetes Mellitus

Running head: NURSING
Nursing
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1NURSING
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder associated with high blood sugar level and
manifestation of symptoms of increased thirst, hunger and frequent urination. The burden of
diabetes is understood from the fact that more than 1.6 million deaths globally has been
caused due to diabetes in 2016. Lifestyle factors like weight gain, poor physical activity, poor
nutrition and diet and smoking are some factors that increase risk of diabetes. As it has
become a major public health burden because of increased risk of kidney disease, heart
disease, stroke and limb amputation due to diabetes, taking important preventive steps to
treat diabetes mellitus is critical for improving population health (World Health
Organization, 2018). The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion can be an appropriate
guideline for planning strategies to promote health of target population group. The main
purpose of this essay is to discuss about the role of nurse in the five major strategies for
health promotion as identified in the Ottawa Charter and use them to promote health of
people with diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is one chronic metabolic disease that not only affects human health, but
also increases the likelihood and emergence of cardiovascular disease and other chronic
disease. The burden of diabetes mellitus in Australia is understood from the fact that it was
the seventh leading cause of death in 2017. Overweight and obesity was the main cause
behind diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018). As lifestyle
factors increase the incidence of diabetes mellitus, nurse have a vital in educating patients
about risk factors and supporting them to promote overall health. The five strategies
mentioned by the Ottawa Health Charter is a useful framework for them to engage in health
promotion. These five strategies include building healthy public policy, creating supportive
environments for change, strengthening community actions, developing personal skills and

2NURSING
reorienting health services (World Health Organization, 2019). Although the nurse do not
have the authority to fully implement the five strategies in promoting health of people with
diabetes, however they can work to use some of the strategies to influence health outcome of
people. Evidence suggests that five action areas of the Health Charter are associated with
health programme effectiveness and it has influences many aspects of health promotion
practice (Fry & Zask, 2016). Therefore, nurses can also gain effective guidance by using
these five actions areas to influence health of people with diabetes.
One of the five strategies for the Ottawa Charter of health promotion is to create a
supportive environment. This involves conducting systematic assessment of the environment
to understand its effect on health. Changing patterns pattern of life, work and leisure are
some part of this strategy (World Health Organization, 2019). This concept can be utilized by
nurse to understand how diabetes patient’s environment and pattern of leisure influence their
health. Pattern of leisure is linked to diagnosis of diabetes mellitus due to increased sedentary
time. People now engage in sedentary activities during leisure instead of vigorous activity.
Joseph et al. (2016) gives the evidence that total leisure sedentary behaviours and television
watching is directly linked with diabetes risk. Therefore, nurses can work to create a
supportive environment for patient by implementing education intervention related to
promotion of physical activity and self-care for this group of patients. By means of
educational interventions, nurse can focus on providing education regarding recommended
level of physical activity, suggestions to engage in sufficient physical activity and extending
knowledge to patients to overcome barriers to physical activity. They can also support
patients to increase physical activity by recommended them to regularly participate in sports
and make changes in their lifestyle (Zandiyeh, Hedayati & Zare, 2015).