Health Promotion in Nursing
Practice- Navajo Adolescent Health
Promotion Proposal
Student’s Name
Institution
Course
Tutor
Date
Prevalence and Incidence
Infrequent among the Navajo youths <10years
High incidence and prevalence among older
youths
15-19year old adolescents; 15 in 359 Navajo
youths with the disease in 2011 and 23 in 2,542
develop the disease annually
Most is diabetes type 2 although diabetes type 1 is
present but more common among younger
adolescents
Diabetes type 2 affects more than 1/5th of the
Navajo population >20years
The Navajo youths aged 15- 19 year have the
greatest diabetes type 2 risk
Factors contributing to the disease
Poor glycemic control (40-50% of the youths with
diabetes)
Impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose
tolerance
More metabolic factors linked;
Obesity
Cardiometabolic disturbances and hypertension
Insulin resistance (higher albumin-to creatinine
ratio, dyslipidemia, and abdominal fat deposition)
Factors contributing to the disease
cont’
Higher BMI levels, lower HDL cholesterol, and
higher triglyceride levels
Severely depressed mood
High unhealthy behaviors’ prevalence;
Sedentary lifestyles
High-fat diets (University of Nottingham
School of Nursing and Academic Division of
Midwifery, 2007).
Smoking
Lower socioeconomic status
Impacts of diabetes type 2 on Navajo
Adolescents
Nerve damage
Blood vessels damage
Eye problems (glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic
retinopathy, and retinal detachment)
Foot problems- circulation difficulties-
deformities and skin infections
Sexual dysfunction
Kidney disease
Chronic complications
Neuropathy- 13%/1000 person years
9% mortality rate
35% microalbuminuria
6% needed dialysis
45% hypertensive cases that needed treatment
38% of the women who become pregnant
suffer pregnancy loss
67%- poor control of blood glucose
Why prevention is important
More years- disease burden
Increased risk- diabetes-related complications
(too early in life)
Need for;
Primary prevention (University of
Nottingham School of Nursing and Academic
Division of Midwifery, 2008).
Efforts to delay/ prevent chronic
complications’ development
Prevention of the disease among the
adolescents
Lifestyle and behavioral factors take
precedence over genetics
Abstaining from alcohol
Quitting smoking’
Having a healthy diet
Physical activity
Proper MBI
Diet
Need to avoid;
High-energy foods
High-fat foods
Too much animal proteins
Junk foods
Too much sugary foods (Work group for
community health and development at the
University of Kansas, 2012).
Need to consume high-fiber and low-fat diet
Exercise
Inactivity- obesity and overweight
Inactivity results from;
Lower parental education
Higher BMI
Cigarette smoking
Pregnancy
Television viewing- high-energy foods
consumption
The least exercise should last 30
minutes/ day, 5 days/ week
Management of the disease
Specific treatment objectives;
Eliminating hyperglycemia symptoms
Maintenance of a reasonable BMI
Reducing the cardiovascular risk factors
(smoking, sedentary lifestyle,
microalbuminuria, hyperglycemia,
hyperlipidemia, and hypertension)
Overall improvement in the adolescent’s
emotional and physical well-being