Posted by
Nathan Krekula on Friday, October 03, 2008 10:00:00 AM
Community-based intervention (CB) strategies are often used to prevent disease in low income communities. Recently community-based interventions have been primarily employed for the prevention of diabetes in rural development and urban planning. Diabetes is a growing nationwide health concern, yet in many cases it can be prevented or controlled through diet. The uses of community-based interventions are concentrated in many areas. Areas such as behavior modification and social, cultural, community, and environmental factors that contribute to health disparities are primarily used to aid in the prevention and control of diabetes (Goodman, 2006).
It is important to target community-based interventions of diabetes due to its strong link to cultural views on health. For instance, many people are predisposed to diabetes due to their cultural attitudes about diet and exercise. It is important to note the values and perceptions of a particular culture or ethnic group as this will be a significant factor leading to preventable chronic disease. Therefore, it is critical to target scocial change stemming from the cultural base; in this manner there will be lasting community-based interventions. Moreover, as cultural awareness is a leading part of interventions there will be greater progress in chronic disease prevention. The move to encourage healthful living requires systematic understanding of cultural norms and values that serve to form the community’s perceptions on what is healthy and what is not.
Reference:
Goodman, (2006), Applying Comprehensive Community-based Approaches in Diabetes Prevention: Rationale, Principles, and Models.
Journal of Public Health Management & Practice; Nov/Dec2006, Vol. 12 Issue 6, p545-555