This paper is aimed at discussing the article Culturally Tailored Education For African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes written by Berkley Carter, Beth Barba, and Donald Kautz. The authors examine the peculiarities of education programs and self-care plans that should be offered to African-American patients who have type 2 diabetes. The scholars note that the effectiveness of self-care plans developed for these people depends on their clarity and relevance to the social or economic environment of the patients. Moreover, much attention should be paid to the cultural background of these individuals. These are the major premises of this research.
The scholars review existing studies to highlight current approaches to the development of healthcare plans. One of the problems that they point out is that researchers do not pay sufficient attention to the needs of particular cultural or racial groups. For instance, there were only 10 studies examining the interventions designed for African-Americans, even though these people are more vulnerable to this disease1. This is one of the problems that should be addressed. Overall, the self-care plans for such patients include such aspects as diet, physical exercises, or monitoring the levels of glucose. The task of a nurse is to help a patient adopt a lifestyle that reduces various risks of diabetes. Furthermore, this individual should understand the main pitfalls that should be avoided. Much emphasis should be placed on food products that are not consistent with type 2 diabetes.
There are several specific points that the scholars identify. First of all, they note that a nurse should be more attentive to the patient’s environment. For instance, African Americans are accustomed to the so-called soul food diet, and these meals are rich in fat and carbohydrate2. This problem is particularly relevant to nurses who work in the southern parts of the United States. Therefore, medical professionals should explain how a person can substitute these meals. In particular, they should tell what products have to be eliminated. Apart from that, nurses need to remember that African-American patients may face difficulties while following the instructions included in the self-care plan. For example, some of them may not be able to walk for 30 minutes per day only because the neighborhood in which they live may not be safe. Similarly, they may not have the financial resources to go to a gym. These are some of the challenges that should be taken into account. Therefore, nurses should develop self-care plans that be adjusted to the social background of African-Americans.
Moreover, the review of the literature suggests that the education of nurses can be more successful if relatives and friends of a patient are involved. A person, who has type 2 diabetes, has to rely on the encouragement offered by these people. This is another issue that should be considered by medical professionals who interact with these patients.
Overall, this article throws light on a very important problem that is relevant to both nurses and patients. Type 2 diabetes requires a significant change in the lifestyle of an individual. Medical professionals should make sure that a patent can understand the necessity of these changes and adhere to the rules included in the self-care plan. The authors of this article demonstrate that it is not permissible to overlook the cultural background of a person. Moreover, they provide examples of interventions that are more suitable for African-Americans.
Bibliography
Carter, Berkley, Beth Barba, and Donald Kautz. “Culturally Tailored Education For African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes.” Medsurg Nursing 22, no. 2 (2013): 105-110.
Footnotes
- Berkley, Carter, Beth Barba, and Donald Kautz. “Culturally Tailored Education ForAfrican Americans With Type 2 Diabetes.” Medsurg Nursing 22, no. 2 (2013): 107.
- Berkley, Carter, Beth Barba, and Donald Kautz. “Culturally Tailored Education”, 109.