Adapting the CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program Services to the Hearing Community
The National
Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP), a
CDC-led lifestyle modification program that assists
participants in losing weight, increasing physical
activity, and adopting healthy eating habits, is one
of the most successful therapies for preventing or
delaying type 2 diabetes. The delivery of the
National DPP can take place digitally, in person, or
in a hybrid format. And since diabetes has a
significant impact on the deaf population, a
modified version of the program that focuses on
enhancing communication may be beneficial and
well-received by the deaf community.
"Deaf
individuals who communicate using American
Sign Language (ASL) are three times more likely to
have diabetes than hearing people," said the
American Diabetes Association. Insufficient
communication is a large part of the problem.
A German
study titled "Primary non-communicable disease
prevention and communication barriers of deaf sign
language users: a qualitative study" focused on the
issue of insufficient communication. One of the
study's conclusions is as follows: "In
order to develop effective diabetes and
non-communicable disease prevention strategies for
deaf sign language users, health care professionals
need to consider sign language specific
communication concepts." The National DPP might be
helpful here.
National DPP sessions are available all around the
country and have to meet CDC-established
requirements for quality. The Diabetes Prevention
Recognition Program (DPRP) was created by the CDC to
single out institutions that provide the National
DPP and meet quality standards. The CDC provides a complete list
of the programs approved by the CDC. Using the list,
which contains location information, can enable deaf
community members to approach National DPP managers
to discuss potential partnerships.
The following program may be of interest to those
who wish to modify the National DPP to accommodate
the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community.
The program is the "Diabetes Prevention Program for
Deaf
and Hard of Hearing."
The deaf community is in need of type 2 diabetes
prevention and delay. The National DPP is a good
place to start.
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