Diabetes - Research Paper Example

Diabetes Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects a person’s blood sugar regulation because cells are not responding to insulin produced or there is not enough production of the same (Casey, 2011). This disease can affect both children and adults but the most affected are individuals over the age of 45. According to AHRQ (2012), the most affected groups in the United States are the Minorities, especially the Hispanic community followed by individuals of Black-American origin. The individuals most affected are usually above the age of 45, since their lifestyles are not as good as younger individuals. From the statistics presented by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, it is also evident that the minorities that are exposed to diabetes have the high prevalence due to their lifestyles. Diabetes continues to be a disease that has social stigma to those suffering from it as it demands a lot of energy and time and it has long time complications to an individual’s body (Hall, 2011). Diabetes also happens to be a very physical disease that affects major organs in the body. Obese people tend to be more vulnerable to having this disease than healthy people and they struggle to manage this disease in all ways they can. This is mostly caused by the lifestyle these people live, for example, the kind of food they eat, lack of exercise and stress which makes them more vulnerable than others.
Casey (2011), states that the factors that determines the outcome of the disease and the final effect that it has on the individual include the lifestyles that the individuals live and the social stigma that the patients undergo. In defining the lifestyles that many patients live in, it is important to mention the economic variable. AHRQ (2012) mentions that, in minority groups, economic barriers and the cultural difference plays an important role in determining the outcome of the treatment that patients are given. Some patients usually face a lot of economic barriers that prevent them from getting insulin treatment and they sometimes do not place their own medical needs before those of family members. Other variables that determine the outcome of the disease include distrust for medical personnel and preferences for other remedies (Fain, 2009).
However, one of the most important variables in the management of the disease is the social stigma that the patients face. According to the Center for Disease Control, the social stigma that affects people living with diabetes increases the mortality from the disease (Tessaro, Smith and Rye, 2005). This means that the stigma associated with the disease works negatively in helping in treating it. The impact of stigma on the progression and treatment of Type 2 diabetes is usually increased in regions where individuals have low access to public education and sensitization. Coupled with the economic disparities in the people in these regions, the resultant chronic disease self-management programs are severely impaired. This indicates that social stigma plays one of the biggest roles in determining the outcome of the disease in individuals (Nazarko, 2009).
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (2012). Diabetes Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities. Retrieved on July 30, 2012 from: Casey, G. (2011). The Sugar Disease: Understanding Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, 17(2), 16-21.
Fain, J. (2009). Understanding Diabetes Mellitus and Kidney Disease. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 36(5), 465-470.
Hall, G. (2011). An Introduction to Diabetes. Practice Nurse, 41(8), 18-25.
Nazarko, L. (2009). Causes and Consequences of Diabetes. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 3(11), 534-538.
Tessaro, I., Smith, S., and Rye, S., (2005). Knowledge and Perceptions of Diabetes in an Appalachian Population. Center for Disease Control. Retrieved on July 30, 2012 from: Read More