Topic: Advocacy Campaign part 2
Pages: 4, Double spaced
Sources: 4
Order type: Essay
Subject: Nursing
Style: APA
Language: English (U.S.)
Order Description
Part Two will have approximately 3–4 pages of content plus a title page and references. Part Two will address the following 4 points.
1•) Explain whether your proposed policy could be enacted through a modification of existing law or regulation or the creation of new legislation/regulation.
2•) Explain how existing laws or regulations could affect your advocacy efforts. Be sure to cite and reference the laws and regulations using primary sources.
3•) Provide an analysis of the methods you could use to influence legislators or other policymakers to support your policy. In particular, explain how you would use the “three legs” of lobbying in your advocacy efforts.
4•) Summarize obstacles that could arise in the legislative process and how to overcome these hurdles.
Population Health Issue: Diabetes.
There are over 29.1 million people living with diabetes in the United States (Beckles, Chiu-Fang & Chou, 2016). Currently, diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death. It is the leading cause of amputation of the foot, kidney disease, and adult blindness. Besides, diabetes put people at risk of stroke and heart disease. Despite all these disturbing facts, the public awareness about diabetes is still very low, and most of the people with diabetes still do not understand how they can control the effects of the disease.
Population Affected.
As compared to the rest of American population, African Americans have the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While it is not proven why the prevalence type 2 diabetes is high in African Americans genetic susceptibility and high prevalence of obesity predispose African Americans to type II diabetes. But is not just diabetes, African Americans also face a high risk of diabetic complications. With the burden of diabetes on the society, there have been many health campaigns aimed at sensitizing the population about the risks of diabetes and the need for people to stay lean and engaging in physical activities.
Increasing awareness about the benefits and importance of diabetes control is the key objective of the “manage your diabetes” campaign. This campaign includes tailored messages and materials for the general public audience but with a special focus on the high-risk populations. The campaign materials available include sample article, education materials, and radio messages.
Health campaigns
The first campaign is the Aging, Diabetes, and the Public Health System in the United States. This campaign is part of the broader awareness initiatives by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, the Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Diabetes Education Pogrom. The main emphasis of this campaign is the importance of comprehensive control for people living with diabetes. This campaign sought to reach the more than 1200 people with diabetes, together with their families. The campaign realized that the people with diabetes are faced with immense medical problems and that there was need to sensitize the families, and the society at large, on the best ways of helping people with diabetes and how people can live meaningful lives even when faced with diabetes.
The second campaign is the New York State Health Foundation’s Diabetes Campaign. The message of the campaign is the seriousness of diabetes, the benefits of controlling and managing diabetes and the ways of controlling the diseases. In particular, the campaign had made it clear that diabetes is better prevented than treated. Again, the companying has pointed out that many people are at risk of developing diabetes and that there is a need for concerted efforts aimed at the prevention and the management of diabetes complications.
The effectiveness of the campaigns
The campaigns can be said to be effective in two aspects of diabetes disease: management and prevention. The first campaign highlighted ways in which people living with diabetes can manage their situation and live meaningful lives. The campaign realizes that most of the health complications of diabetes come about due to poor diseases management practices. However, with proper management, the complications can be managed. The second campaign has been effective in providing information on how the company can prevent diabetes. As such, the campaign has offered various preventive strategies and lifestyle changes that are important in preventing diabetes.
New health advocacy plan
There is a need for a renewed focus on the modification behaviors as a way of reducing the prevalence of diabetes among African American populations. Some of the ways of controlling diabetes that will be popularized during the campaign include health in nutrition (eating the right amounts of healthy foods), engaging in regular physical activities (such as jogging), taking the diabetes drugs as prescribed and frequently checking your blood sugar (Chun et al., 2007). The available campaign materials will offer tips for people with diabetes on how they can keep their blood sugar under control and explaining the importance of diabetes ABCs. For people who have not developed diabetes, the focus will be one how to live healthy lives and prevent diabetes.
Conclusion
While most diabetes campaigns have focused on adults, it is important that a new diabetes policy to be developed to take care of the children. The exact cause of type II diabetes in children is unknown, however, evidence shows that inactivity and excess fat plays an important factor. This is particularly important in order to take care of an increasing number of children who are obese and who are likely to suffer from obesity-related complications such as diabetes.
References
Beckles, G. L., Chiu-Fang, C., & Chou, C. (2016). Disparities in the Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes – the United States, 1999-2002, and 2011-2014. MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 65(45), 1265-1269.
Caspersen, C. J., Thomas, G. D., Boseman, L. A., Beckles, G. A., & Albright, A. L. (2012). Aging, Diabetes, and the Public Health System in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 102(8), 1482-1497.
Chun, D. W., Bauer, R. M., Ward, T. P., Dick II, J. B., & Bower, K. S. (2007). Evaluation of Digital Fundus Images as a Diagnostic Method for Surveillance of Diabetic Retinopathy. Military Medicine, 172(4), 405-410.
Meyer, H. (2012). New York State Health Foundation’s Diabetes Campaign Is Influencing Practices To Improve Care. Health Affairs, 31(1), 240-244.
