Diabetes is a prevalent public health problem in the United States despite the numerous efforts of the government to improve the patients’ quality of life. Juvenile diabetes, a condition commonly termed as type 1 diabetes, is a metabolic disorder that can occur at any age (Babu & Eisenbarth, 2012). The American Diabetes Associations subdivided type 1 diabetes into type 1A and type 1B. Type 1A diabetes, which is the most common among the two, is caused by the presence of antibodies that react with insulin, glutamate decarboxylases, and Zinc transporter 8 (Babu & Eisenbarth, 2012). Although the United States government has allocated funds to promote diabetes management and improve the patient’s quality of life, the existing gaps in the employed intervention impede the success of such efforts. According to Holt, Gunnarson, Cload, and Ross (2014), diabetes affects about 12.3 percent of the United States population aged above 20 years, and the disorder goes undiagnosed in about 27.8 percent of persons with diabetes. The failure to diagnose a significant subset of people with diabetes contributes to failure in managing the disorder in New Jersey.
Similarities between the Gathered and Generated Data
There are striking similarities between the gathered data and the generated data for diabetes in Teaneck, New Jersey. According to Healthy People 2020, the objective is to reduce the number of diabetics-related deaths by 10 percent. Based on the data gathered, there were 74 deaths per 100,000 people with diabetes in 2007. The objective is to reduce the number of fatalities as a result of diabetes to 66.6 deaths per 100,000 people with diabetes. The generated results are similar to gathered data because, in the state of New Jersey, there were 61.5 deaths in a population of 100,000 people with diabetes (Healthy People, 2020). However, by the end of 2017, the number of fatalities had dropped to 52.2 deaths per 100,000 persons with diabetes. Therefore, the generated results denote that the state of New Jersey is performing better in terms of reducing diabetes-related fatalities than what was projected by Healthy People 2020.
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Furthermore, based on the gathered data, 66.3 percent of people above the age of 18 years with diagnosed diabetes had their hemoglobin measured at least twice within the last year. The target was to increase the number of persons with diagnosed diabetes who have their glycosylated hemoglobin measurement at least two times in a year to 72.9 percent. The generated data for the State of New Jersey denotes that the number of persons that sought A1c test at least twice per annum was 66.3 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes. The number grew to 70.7 percent in 2017, demonstrating that the number of people seeking the test is on an upward trajectory. Therefore, the gathered data and the generated data are generally consistent (Healthy People, 2020).
Differences between the Gathered and Generated Data
In some instances, there are huge discrepancies between the gathered and the generated data sets. For instance, the gathered data differs markedly from the generated data on the number of persons diagnosed with diabetes that are seeking health education on how to manage the condition. According to MakkiAwouda, Elmukashfi, and Al-Tom (2014), health education is integral for persons diagnosed with diabetes because it equips them with the skills required to efficiently administer self-care and understand the rationale behind the lifestyle changes recommended by a physician. Furthermore, educating diabetes patients fosters the realization of other health objectives set by Healthy People 2020. For instance, by understanding appropriate dietary choices, risk factors that elevate serum glucose levels, and other related ailments that one is bound to suffer from, diabetes patients can make informed decisions regarding their health, which in turn reduces the number of diabetes-related fatalities. Therefore, educating more persons diagnosed with diabetes will contribute to the realization of improved quality of life for this patient population.
In light of the importance of formal health education for persons with diagnosed diabetes, Healthy People 2020 states that the goal is to get more people educated and capable of managing their diets, medication, and making proper lifestyle choices. The gathered national data shows that 53.1 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes aged above 18 years have received formal health education or diabetes education in 2012. Healthy People 2020 affirm that the objective is to get 58.4 percent of adults diagnosed with diabetes to receive formal diabetes education. The rise denotes a 10 percent increase.
Nonetheless, the objective is not being realized, as shown by the data gathered from the state of New Jersey. According to Healthy People 2020, 53.1 percent of persons with diagnosed diabetes reported to have received diabetes education in 2012. By the end of 2017, only 51.7 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes in New Jersey reported having received formal diabetes education. The outcome shows that while the generated or expected figure is 58.4 percent, the collected data shows a drop in the number of people who have been diagnosed with diabetes that are seeking diabetes education. From the results, it can be inferred that although more services and partnerships have been availed to help persons deal with diabetes, the level of formal diabetes education is declining.
Weaknesses and Strengths of the Community
Based on the data presented by Health People 2020, it is apparent that the number of diabetes-related fatalities is below the national average, and the decline in this parameter is more than the projected 10 percent. The findings denote that the state is doing well in terms of promoting diabetes management. However, the state lags in formal diabetes education; only 53.1 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes reported that they had received diabetes education in 2012. The figure was the same as the national average. The objective set by Healthy People 2020 on the aspect of diabetes education is that the number of persons educated should increase by 10 percent. However, in the state of New Jersey, the number of people with diagnosed diabetes that admitted to having received formal education on the disorder dropped to 51.7 percent by the end of 2017.
The other weakness is the number of persons that exercise self-monitoring of blood glucose at least once a day. Schnell, Hanefeld, and Monnier (2014) posit that self-monitoring is essential to the diabetes management process. The practice allows persons with diagnosed diabetes to detect changes in their blood glucose levels and act accordingly. For instance, if the surge in the blood glucose level is due to a meal that one took in the course of the day, the patient can decide to avoid that meal. Therefore, the determination of risk reduces the number of hospital visits and improves the patient’s quality of life. According to Healthy People 2020, 65.9 percent of people aged above 18 years with diagnosed diabetes performed self-monitoring daily. The goal set by the organization is a 10 percent increase in the number of individual with diabetes that engages in this practice. However, in the state of New Jersey, the number of people that engage in self-monitoring has plummet, and this is an issue that can be covered in the formal diabetes education sessions. The number dropped from 65.9 percent in 2012 to 61.5 percent in 2017.
Despite its weaknesses, the community also demonstrates numerous strengths. For instance, the number of people that take A1c tests increased from 66.3 percent in 2012 to 70.7 percent in 2017. Also, the number of persons aged 18 years and above with diagnosed diabetes that received foot examination at least once a year rose from 69.7 percent in 2012 to 69.8 percent in 2017.
Areas where Improvement is needed
In a bid to attain the objectives set by Healthy People 2020, there is a need for increased level and reach of formal diabetes education in the State of New Jersey. The education will cover gaps presented by the gathered data. For example, the number of people with diagnosed diabetes that perform self-monitoring has plummeted over the years. The number can be improved by emphasizing the importance of self-monitoring of blood glucose in the diabetes education program. Furthermore, the high number of undiagnosed people (27.8 percent) hampers efforts to plan and finance the management of the disorder. In this regard, a campaign targeting the community should be conducted to encourage people to test for diabetes.
In conclusion, diabetes is a prevalent and debilitating condition in the United States. Even though services and partnerships have been introduced to improve the quality of care and quality of life for people with diagnosed diabetes, cases of fatalities are still widespread. The data gathered and generated by Healthy People 2020 shows that although diabetes-related fatalities have decreased over the past ten years in New Jersey, the community still lags in terms of the number of diabetes diagnosed persons who have received diabetes education and those that practice self-monitoring of blood sugar level. In this regard, these two areas need to be improved in an attempt to better wellness standards in the community.
References
Babu, S. R., & Eisenbarth, G. S. (2012). Juvenile diabetes. The Indian Journal of Medical Research . 136(2): 179-181.
HealthyPeople.gov. (2020). Diabetes. ODPHP . Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/diabetes .
Holt, T. A., Gunnarsson, C. L., Cload, P. A., & Ross, S. D. (2014). Identification of undiagnosed diabetes and quality of diabetes care in the United States: cross-sectional study of 11.5 million primary care electronic records. CMAJ open , 2 (4), E248.
MakkiAwouda, F. O., Elmukashfi, T. A., & Al-Tom, S. A. H. (2014). Effects of health education of diabetic patient’s knowledge at Diabetic Health Centers, Khartoum State, Sudan: 2007-2010. Global journal of health science , 6 (2), 221.
Schnell, O., Hanefeld, M., & Monnier, L. (2014). Self-monitoring of blood glucose: a prerequisite for diabetes management in outcome trials. Journal of diabetes science and technology , 8 (3), 609-614.
