Diabetic Epidemiology among African American

Posted: January 5th, 2023

Diabetic Epidemiology among African American

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course

Instructor

Due Date

Diabetic Epidemiology among African American

In the understanding of any medical concern, the epidemiology of the particular health concern is usually a priority. This explains the incorporations of the epidemiologic foundations in the nursing syllabus especially in the United States with a rising number of cases of Diabetes. Epidemiology encompasses the analysis of the distribution and determinants of the various health-linked situations within a specified population. It is thus data-driven, hence depending on the systematic and unbiased approach in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. Diabetes is one of the most causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States particularly the African American group of population. Diabetes manifests itself into two forms that are type 1 diabetes of type II both of which are associated with metabolic interactions. This illustrates the need to prioritize the attention to the disease in order to combat the rising cases of mortality and the associated complication among the African American population who account for 60% of the individuals diagnosed with diabetes. In order to formulate the various strategies to mitigate this health problem, the foundations of epidemiology are incorporated into medical nursing due to the various advantages that are attached to its teaching as dictated below.

Epidemiologic foundations

In combating any disease or pandemic, the front-line officers who are majorly the nurses who are involved in the primary care of the patients have to be taught on the epidemiologic foundations. The epidemiological triangle is employed to help in the understanding of disease epidemiology as taught in foundations of epidemiology in nursing (Rodriguez-Seijas et al., 2019). The epidemiologic triangle comprises the agent, environment, and host hence explaining the cycle of the disease. The agent is comprised of the actual cause of the condition while the host explains the carriers of the agent. The host which is the carrier can exhibit the various signs and symptoms of the disease or fail to develop the various health conditions depending on the physiology of the host. The external surrounding of the disease also constitutes the conditions that favor the spread of the diseases to the various alarming rates (Rodriguez-Seijas et al., 2019). The environment thus constitutes of the various factors which affect the spread of the certain health concern in question but does not incorporate directly the host or part of the agent. The environmental factors for instance include the unhealthy diet by the various individuals suffering from diabetes.

The epidemiology triangle, therefore, constitutes the structural framework for the epidemiologic foundations as adopted in nursing and nursing leadership. Epidemiology foundations constitute; causative agents, incidence and prevalence, and general public health surveillance. It also comprises the study designs and the reasons for the emphasis on the study designed improvised, the measures of the association, confounding and effect modification, and the screening of the community in question (Rodriguez-Seijas et al., 2019). This incorporates the three essential elements of epidemiology that include; distribution assessment, determinants on the possible risk factors, and the applications for the control of the health problem. Therefore, the understanding of the epidemiologic foundations significantly impacts nursing and nursing leadership, in the management of diabetes among African American groups of populations.

In a study of the epidemiological foundations in nursing, there are various concepts and terms that an individual must fully grasp as they aid in understanding the concept. Since epidemiology entails the incidence and prevalence, multiple fatalities are reported on account of the disease in question hence the description of mortality rate. The mortality rate is thus defined as the proportions of the death reported within a given population at a specified interval (Ruzsa, Szeverenyi, and Varga 2020). The morbidity rate within the nursing and nursing leadership entails the frequency as well as proportions upon which a particular disease is reported within a given group of individuals. Since epidemiology involves the incidence and prevalence, some mortality is induced and adjusted, hence the term age-adjusted mortality rate. The age-adjusted mortality rates describe the statistical modification of the mortality rate to eliminate the effect of the age distributions in different cohorts (Black et al., 2017). The agent is defined as the organism or substance responsible for the occurrence of a particular illness within a given society. The age-specific mortality rate is described as the fatalities reported about specific age groups. The rate is calculated by dividing the number of fatalities within a given age group by the total population of individuals within a given age bracket.

The analytic study in the epidemiologic survey describes the comparison study, which is usually designed to identify and test the hypotheses and identify if the cause of specific results. As per the description, the analytic stud includes the cohort study and the case-control study. The applied epidemiology describes the epidemiology application in solving certain health conditions such as diabetes (Black et al., 2017). Attack rate within the epidemiologic concept entails the various narrowly stipulated population check regarding the agent over a relatively limited period. The attributable corporation illustrates the public health impact measure in reference to specific causative agents, which are related to particular populations upon which a factor can be attributed to exposure to a certain element.

Impact of the epidemiologic foundations on the nursing and nursing leadership

Standard Diabetes medical care

To mitigate the slowly rooting Diabetes Mellitus among African Americans in the United States, there need to be followed standard medical care and procedures that are a product of the epidemiology work. The standard medical care among African Americans involves ongoing self-management education and support to prevent diabetes-associated complications from arising. The rising mortalities and morbidities in the United States led to the development of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The association formulated the standards of medical care which aimed at the provision of the clinicians, patients as well as researchers with the diabetes care components, treatment goals as well as tools for evaluating quality health care (Zhenget al., 2018). The development of the standard medical care conforms with the patient preferences, comorbidities as well as other patient-linked factors. The adjustments to the various set standards are therefore following the epidemiology in terms of extensive diabetes literature search in conjunction with the ADA staff input as well as the African American community which is largely affected by the condition (Zhenget al., 2018). The board leading ADA also determines the drug approvals as well as labels the various changes.   

Improvement of research literature

            According to Gatchel, Choi, and Hanna (2018), African American Diabetes epidemiology in the United States aids in the improvement of the research literature. This is described by the extensive research that medical practitioners, as well as the various ADA officials, undertake while expounding on the recommendations and updates of the various standard medical procedures. The extensive research was conducted to aid in the improvement of the documented data that guide the formulation of future recommendations on the policies and strategies to be adopted in the medical field hence the building block for future policies and strategies. The epidemiological data include the mortality rates, morbidity rates as well as disease prevalence, and incidence (Gatchel, Choi, and Hanna 2018). The African American diabetic data forms a basis for future research as the various factors are indicated in the documentation as well as the various regions where the disease has gained roots such as West Virginia province. The epidemiologic data also documents the various types of diabetes in accordance with their prevalence like type II diabetes a common disorder among the African American populations.

Framework basis for making clinical decisions

From the epidemiological description, nurses gain an advantage from epidemiology in various clinical practices as epidemiology entails the scientific analysis of the different disease occurrence within the general population and the association between the subject of the study as well as the environment. The past African American diabetic epidemiology data thus gives an insight into the facts on disease frequency as well as etiology. The past medical and family history hence guides the nurses in the prediction of the prevalence of diabetes as well as the medication plan and diets for the various African American populations (Mahendraraj et al., 2017). Therefore, clinical epidemiology offers an opportunity for the translation of clinical practice into a quantitative science. Public health epidemiology, on the other hand, forms the basis of knowledge, disease prevention, and treatment of the various ill individuals. Epidemiology is a discipline that offers a guide to the nurses upon gaining the different foundation skills and understanding the disease pathogenesis in the field, hence improving the diagnostics such as glucose monitoring or review of the insulin settings and use. The clinicians following the study of the epidemiology of diabetes among the African American thus are able to request the particular diagnostic technique that will correctly identify the particular type of diabetes among the African American population (Tsou et al., 2020). This has a net positive impact on both the patient and the physician as it saves the patient from the various risk factors while the nurse gains the track to choosing the practical therapeutic approach for the particular disease. 

Clinical epidemiology, unlike classical epidemiology, illustrates a relation with evidence-based medicine. African American clinical epidemiology, therefore, incorporates the various other essential disciplines in human medicine, which aids the clinicians and the guidance and ease the nurses as well as the clinicians in making the right decisions concerning their clinical practice decisions in the field (Tsou et al., 2020). The basic disciplines covered within the clinical epidemiology that help nurses make the right decision in clinical practice include; biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology. This illustrates clinical epidemiology digging deeper in science than clinical trials. Some of the scenarios that facilitate the development of clinical questions include using the diagnostic tests, evaluation theory, and development of guidelines in addition to making a clinical decision reign (Mahendraraj et al., 2017). This is highly useful for the various individuals within the nursing leadership capabilities such as those affiliated to the ADA in charge of formulating the standard medical procedures.

 A platform for the efficient and effective planning as well as delivery of nursing services to the various individuals in need of them

The epidemiological data gained from the various epidemiological studies help in effecting planning of the various health services at various capacities and proportions. The United States department of health is determined to eliminating the various devastating health complications among the population in the United States with the African American population included (Boles et al, 2017). The planning of the health services is based on the epidemiology of the African American population. Since the African American population has constituted the highest population with diabetes cases, the department of health through the ADA has developed the treatment goals and guidelines in the treatment services (Zhenget al., 2018). The multidisciplinary expert committee in addition to the members of the ADA professional practice hence updates the standard health care services to curb the diabetes conditions according to the annual epidemiological data collected. The epidemiological data enable the health specialists to organize the various referral to the specialists who can address the particular problem in connection with diabetes such as alcoholism addiction and nutritional factors. The ability of the ADA to retain a list of the mental health providers can effectively offer counseling services among the clients.

Strategies and policies

Epidemiology forms a basis in the formulation and implementation of the various laws and policies as well as the strategies in the health sector at whatever level of government. Hence, the ADA through the various epidemiological data of the African American population is able to formulate laws and policies within the high prevalence areas (Boles et al., 2017). For instance, the government of the United States advocates for the regular screening of diabetes among the residents especially the African American populations which are highly affected by Diabetes. This was adopted following the epidemic of Diabetes in the United States. 

Negative impacts of epidemiologic foundations

            The African American population statistics on diabetes attract a devastating impact on the African American population despite the increased efforts of the institution of policies in the health care sector which are designed to improve their normal healthcare well-being among the healthcare sector (Zhenget al., 2018). The African American population, for instance, are among the highest discriminate population in the United States on account of the high morbidity and mortality as well as health care if the patient has African history.

Conclusion

 Ultimately, epidemiological foundations form a core discipline in the nursing education curriculum. This is due to the various benefits attributed to its adoption. It entails the study of distribution and determinants of the health-linked events within a specified group of individuals in particular geographical settings. Epidemiology is comprised of three fundamental elements that are distribution assessment, determinants of the potential risks, and the applications for the control of the health problem. The learning of epidemiology comprises of the understanding of the various concepts such as mortality rate, morbidity rate, agent, age-adjusted mortality, and analytic study as dictated above. The adoption of the African American epidemiological study in the nursing sector has yielded a relatively positive impact, such as improvement of the medical standard in the United States under ADA. The African American population epidemiologic studies have also led to the improvement in the documentation of the literature value and institution of the various health care strategies and policies. The epidemiological concepts form a framework from which nurses can make clinical choices as they can get insight into facts on disease frequency and etiology. Clinical epidemiology, as opposed to classical epidemiology, translates to the easing of the nurse to making the best medication decision as it comprises of biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology. In addition, the epidemiology adoption forms a platform from which the nurses can plan the provision of the nursing services effectively to the public according to t their demands. The epidemiological technique adoption in the nursing syllabus and field aid in the formulation of strategies and policies governing the health sector. The adoption of the African Americans epidemiological foundation has, however, resulted in African American discrimination on medical grounds.

References

Black, R. E., Taylor, C. E., Arole, S., Bang, A., Bhutta, Z. A., Chowdhury, A. M. R., … & Perry, H. B. (2017). A comprehensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community–based primary health care in improving maternal, neonatal, and child health: 8. summary and recommendations of the expert panel. Journal of global health, 7(1). https://dio.org doi: /10.7189/jogh.07.010908

Boles, A., Kandimalla, R., & Reddy, P. H. (2017). Dynamics of diabetes and obesity: an epidemiological perspective. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Molecular Basis of Disease, 1863(5), 1026-1036.

Gatchel, R. J., Choi, J. Y., & Hanna, M. (2018). Epidemiology of chronic illnesses: Associations with the aging population and future socioeconomic implications. In Handbook of rehabilitation in older adults (pp. 3-19). Springer, Cham.

Mahendraraj, K., Sidhu, K., Lau, C. S., McRoy, G. J., Chamberlain, R. S., & Smith, F. O. (2017). Malignant melanoma in African–Americans: A population-based clinical outcomes study involving 1106 African–American patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database (1988–2011). Medicine, 96(15).

Rodriguez-Seijas, C., Eaton, N. R., & Pachankis, J. E. (2019). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders at the intersection of race and sexual orientation: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 87(4), 321.

Ruzsa, G., Szeverenyi, C., & Varga, K. (2020). Person-and job-specific factors of intuitive decision-making in clinical practice: results of a sample survey among Hungarian physicians and nurses. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 8(1), 152-184.

Tsou, A. Y., Bulova, P., Capone, G., Chicoine, B., Gelaro, B., Harville, T. O., … & Whitten, M. S. (2020). Medical Care of Adults With Down Syndrome: A Clinical Guideline. Jama, 324(15), 1543-1556.

Zheng, Y., Ley, S. H., & Hu, F. B. (2018). Global etiology and epidemiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 14(2), 88.