Teaching Plan For Diabetes Prevention And Management

Teaching Plan

Criteria

Rationale

• The Topic

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a long-term metabolic disorder that is primarily characterised by an elevation of blood glucose levels. Failure to treat the chronic metabolic condition can result in the onset of associate comorbidities and lead to other health complications such as, nerve damage, kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases and limb amputation (American Diabetes Association, 2014). An estimated 1 out of 9 individuals residing in Singapore have been found with elevated sugar levels. This accounts for more than 11.3% of the entire population (Diabetic society of Singapore, 2017). Effective management of the condition involves dietary modifications, physical exercise and monitoring of blood sugar levels. Therefore, there is a need to implement a teaching plan on diabetes prevention and management.

• Identified learning Objectives/Outcomes

·        Define the underlying mechanism of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus

·        Define the blood sugar levels and HbA1c levels

·        Define the symptoms of diabetes

·        Describe effective management strategies

·        Help participants verbalise their feelings about the condition

Type 1 diabetes is most commonly found in children and is referred to as juvenile diabetes. Conversely, type 2 diabetes is generally more common in adults, aged more than 40 years. Also referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes, the condition involves failure of insulin hormone to balance the amount of sugar present in the bloodstream. A third type, gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy with an increase in blood sugar levels, and gradually disappears after parturition. The major symptoms of diabetes encompass frequent passage of urine, eating, drinking, drastic weight loss, behavioural changes and a stop in the internal insulin production (Dabelea et al., 2014). Thus, teaching the target audience about the types of diabetes and the symptoms that are commonly observed will increase their awareness and help them to recognise the symptoms. Teaching them about the management strategies will help them to identify the lifestyle changes that can be easily incorporated into their lives.

·       The target audience, number of participants and their level of education/understanding

·       Teenagers

·       High school students (standard 9-12, aged 15 to 18 years)

·       100 participants across 5 different schools (20 from each, regardless of the gender)

Global statistical data suggests that an estimated 208,000 children and teenagers were found diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes in the US. The prevalence of type 1 diabetes is increasing at a rate of 1.8% and that of T2D at 4.8% each year (Cdc.gov, 2014). Reports by the International Diabetes Federation has suggested that Singapore lies at the second highest rank of diabetes among all developed countries (Diabetic society of Singapore, 2017). Teenage years are the time that comprise of mental, physical and emotional growth. Signs and symptoms of diabetes in teenagers are most commonly exhibited in terms of an increase in appetite, unexpected weight loss, drowsiness, lethargy, and laboured breathing (Duncan, Jekel, O’Connell, Sanci & Sawyer, 2014). Teenagers diagnosed with diabetes commonly exhibit range of emotions and reactions that include denial, fear and shock. This teaching plan will help the target audience increase their awareness on self-management of the metabolic condition (Dabelea et al., 2017).  

• The context/environment of where it will be delivered and any issues related to that

The program will be delivered in a community centre, for six months

Prior permission will be taken from the school authorities, in addition to informed consent from the students. Consent is essential for the program to provide the participants a clear idea on the purpose and benefits of the teaching plan. They will be made to understand that management of diabetes can be facilitated by a lifelong commitment towards lifestyle changes.

• Learning theory applied/underpinning the session

·        Kolb’s learning theory

·        John Dewey’s theory

·        Kolb’s theory will be taken into consideration while teaching the target audience and will focus on the acquisition of abstract ideas that can be easily applied in different situations (Konak, Clark & Nasereddin, 2014). New experiences will provide the impetus for concept development. The four stages of theory that will be encompassed by the teaching plan include concrete experience, reflective observations, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation (Tomkins & Ulus, 2016). These will facilitate effective learning of the teenage students.

·         Dewey’s theory focused on pragmatism and emphasised on the need of learning by doing (Savery, 2015). The teenagers will be made to learn the benefits of lifestyle interventions by adoption of a hands-on approach (Beard & Wilson, 2013). This would help them to realise the health implications for the preventive strategies.

• Teaching strategy or strategies to be employed in the content delivery

·        Using pictures, posters, illustrations,

·        Goldilocks approach

·        Visual strategies

·        Integrating student choice

·        These alternative teaching methods will be effective in engaging all teenagers in the teaching curriculum

·        Keeping the objectives comprehensive and succinct will help in defining the main purpose of the research

·        Visual aids will arise the interest of the teenage students and assist in easy explanation of the topic ‘diabetes’ (Kumar, Singh, Mohan & Kumar, 2013).

·        Integrating student choice will provide them with the opportunity to complete the activities, thereby increasing their awareness on the health condition.

• Teacher activities during delivery

·        Give a general overview

·        Show how to monitor blood glucose levels

·        Talk about insulin and medications

·        Act as a role model for lifestyle interventions

These will help the teenagers gain a deeper understanding of the metabolic disorder and help them learn about the ways by which blood sugar levels can be checked in a hassle-free way. Acting as a role model will provide them the necessary motivation to practice the same.

• Materials needed in preparation

·        Computer with internet access

·        Books

·        Flashcards

·        Posters

·        Diabetic diet food items

These materials will better engage the students in the learning process by facilitating easy explanation of concepts related to diabetes disease and its management and will also encourage the learning process

• How students will be prepared for the session

·        Providing them pamphlets that will explain the events that the plan will cover

·        Making them adhere to aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes each day

·        Reducing intake of fat and sugar rich food

·        Increasing consumption of fibre rich food

This will make the students aware of what activities and lessons can be expect during the teaching sessions. Adherence to a diabetic diet will help in consumption of food items rich in nutrients and will reduce calorie consumption, thereby maintaining blood sugar levels. During exercise, movement of the muscles will result in more glucose uptake by the muscle cells and lower blood sugar levels (Li et al., 2014).

• Methods of evaluating the session

·        Self-efficacy

·        Increased awareness

·        Diabetes knowledge

·        Effective management skills

·        Changes in BMI and weight

Changes in the attitudes of the teenagers towards behaviours that are associated with diabetes and effective adoption of the lifestyle interventions such as, dietary changes and physical exercise will act as evaluation outcomes. Adherence to these changes will directly get manifested in their weight, HbA1c levels and BMI, thereby proving success of the teaching plan.