Implementing a Six-Week Health Promotion Program for Diabetes Mellitus

This report outlines a six-week health promotion program designed to manage type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal communities. The program begins with education on diabetes management, delivered in a culturally sensitive manner by a team of nurses and an aboriginal health practitioner. The second week focuses on healthy food choices, including shop tours and potential involvement of community members. Week three emphasizes blood glucose level monitoring. The following three weeks involve physical exercises and weight loss activities. The report also discusses the importance of suitable venues, staffing strategies, teaching materials, refreshments, and stationery for successful program implementation. The program aims to improve the quality of life for indigenous Australians with diabetes by promoting health education and lifestyle changes.

Running head: DIABETES MELLITUS 1
Diabetes Mellitus
Name
Institution

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Diabetes Mellitus
Health Promotion Program
Type 2 diabetes is a major cause of health disparities among the indigenous Australians.
There are however several health promotion programs that can be implemented to help in
managing this condition. The program is rolled out for a period of six weeks and it focuses on
educating the aboriginal population on the management of diabetes mellitus. In this paper, we
discuss how a health promotion program can be implemented. During the first week, the
population is educated on how to effectively manage their health conditions. Education is very
essential since it is used to engage the patients during the formulation of the appropriate care
plans. It is important if this education is delivered in a culturally acceptable manner and in a
language that the population is conversant with (Nguyen, Chitturi & Maple‐Brown, 2016). The
team of educators is made up three nurses with adequate knowledge regarding chronic lifestyle
diseases. These three nurses are tasked with educating the aboriginal population about nutrition,
the risk factors for diabetes mellitus, and how to manage the disease. In addition to the nurses,
the team also constitutes an aboriginal health practitioner who the population can relate to and
understand well.
During the second week, the focus is on cooking and the locations of shops. The group is
taken on a tour to survey the shops and identify the healthy food choices that they should
consume as part of managing type 2 diabetes. Additionally, a member of the aboriginal
community can be appointed as one of the shopkeepers to help in improving the quantity and
quality of the healthy food choices (Nguyen et al., 2016). Furthermore, the food should be

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appropriately cooked for the required duration of time and with special considerations to the
preferences of the general population.
The third week is about monitoring the blood glucose level. The community is
enlightened on how to monitor their BGL to avoid an elevation of the blood glucose level.
Everyone is required to note down their BGL on a dairy on a daily basis. The following three
weeks are meant for physical exercises and weight loss. Routine exercises are important in
maintaining the level of blood glucose level within a normal range. These physical activities are
also aimed at losing weight and keeping in shape. During the weight loss program, the patients
engage in a moderate-intensive activity for around 45-60 minutes on a daily basis for five days
every week. Additionally, all who participate in this program could be provided with T-shirts to
encourage other members of the community to take part.
Resources (Eldredge, Markham, Ruiter, Kok & Parcel, 2016)
Program Description
Venue The location of the venue needs to be suitable to encourage the
implementation of the health promotion program.
Staffing A workforce strategy is important in ensuring that you are not
understaffed. Staffing should, therefore, be adjusted to achieve
the desired goals.
Teaching materials The teaching materials are used to educate the program
stakeholders on the most appropriate ways of implementing
the program.
Refreshments The importance of refreshments is that they help people to

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reenergize and focus on the implementation of the health
promotion program.
Stationery Stationery is additionally very fundamental in implementing
health promotion program. Everyone involved uses stationery
to take notes regarding the program.
References

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Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Ruiter, R. A., Kok, G., & Parcel, G. S. (2016). Planning
health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Nguyen, H. D., Chitturi, S., & Maple‐Brown, L. J. (2016). Management of diabetes in
Indigenous communities: lessons from the Australian Aboriginal population. Internal
medicine journal, 46(11), 1252-1259.