Community Health and Disease Prevention: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Running head: TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS
Community Health and Disease Prevention: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS
Introduction
According to the National Health Survey Done by the Australian Department of
Health (2016), about 85% of the people who are diagnosed with diabetes in Australia have
type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) it is as estimated population of 1,002, 000 people. T2DM is
over represented among the aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders persons. T2DM is over
represented among the aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders persons (Australian
Government Department of Health, 2016). The following essay is based important steps that
must be taken under consideration in order to develop community health and disease
prevention in T2DM.
Part 1
T2DM is associated with both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. The major
risk factors that are associated with the development of T2DM that cannot be modified
include age, genetic predisposition, ethnicity and family history (Australian Government
Department of Health, 2016). However, T2DM is also with certain modifiable risk factor
behind its development and this includes obesity, sedentary life style, lack of proper
nutritional diet, poor knowledge about the health life style and lack of physical activity
(American Diabetes Association, 2015). Thus Zoungas et al. (2014) have rightly opined that
T2DM is preventable via proper amalgamation of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions
along with community based education in disease unawareness and frequent check up of
glycemic level in blood.
According to Blackberry et al. (2013), community based engagement is an effective
ways to increase the disease awareness. This kind of initiatives help to reduce the modifiable
risk factors associated with the disease development. This assist in reducing the probability of

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TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS
disease occurrence on a selected community and this kind of approach works best with
T2DM which is now regarded as a lifestyle disease. The Laverack’s ladder of community-
based interaction, is based on 8 different steps which ultimately help the communities to
move forward towards organizational and social interactions by taking informed steps to
address broader determinants of health (Arnstein, 2015).
Figure: Laverack’s ladder of Community-based Interaction
(Source: Arnstein, 2015)

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TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS
The three main steps that will be used engage with a community in order to
implement Type 2 Diabetes prevention program include:
i. Community Based Education
ii. Interactive community based session
iii. Special awareness campaign for aboriginals
Three Steps Chosen Relation with the Laverack’s ladder of community-based
interaction
1. Community Based Education
This will be done via practising active
communication skills from the health
care providers and the nursing
professionals who are the members of
the disease prevention campaigns
(Nutbeam, 2000)
Community Readiness
According to Powers et al. (2015) community, based
education not only helps to increase the disease awareness
but also increase the scope of self-management interventions
for diabetes management. This increase in awareness about
the disease along with education in self-management of the
disease increase the sense of community preparedness to
indulge into a series of stages and partnership with a third
party towards successful disease prevention program
2. Interactive Community Based
Session
Community Participation
Interactive communities about the type 2 diabetes will help
the community to actively indulge into common needs via
sharing of their own ideas and experiences in type 2 diabetes
disease progression (Wates, 2014).
Community Engagement
Interactions among the survivors of the type 2 diabetes will
help the community members to identify problem-solving
solutions to issues that are affecting their life (Wates, 2014).