“Together We Can Return to Balance”—Eastern Woodlands Native Perspectives and Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study

Purpose To explore the perspectives of Eastern Woodlands Native people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the context of health beliefs, T2DM disease self-management, and family and community connections. Methods A qualitative descriptive method using face-to-face or telephonic semistructured interviews was employed with Native people ages 18 years or older who have a diagnosis of T2DM (N = 12) from an unidentified Eastern Woodlands tribe. The PEN-3 Cultural Model guided the study initially. Results The overarching theme “together we can return to balance” corresponded to 5 subthemes: coming to know life paths with T2DM, acknowledging the imbalance, negotiating my way forward, making important connections, and sticking closer to Mother Earth. Dimensions within the subthemes suggest why Native people may not be reaching T2DM treatment goals. Reasons include incomplete diabetes knowledge, difficulty accessing resources, and contextual variations in adoption of conventional diabetes treatments. Conclusion This study identified themes from Native perspectives about T2DM self-management and about prospects that may mitigate incomplete knowledge and support. Integrating indigenous health and wellness knowledge with conventional principles of diabetes care presents several opportunities for nurses to advance diabetes self-management (DSM) education and support. Including Native health concepts when educating patients about DSM should be viewed as desirable for holistic family and community involvement that is central toward preventing disease progression.

Patient Perspective on Factors Contributing to Nonadherence to Dietary Therapy: A Qualitative Study in Multicultural Population of Kedah, Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to explore diabetes patients’ views on various factors contributing to nonadherence to dietary therapy. Using a qualitative approach, 17 in-depth interviews were conducted with type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah state, Malaysia. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated before analysis. Thematic content analysis was used and three main themes emerged. The main factors that affect diabetes patients’ dietary adherence were “individual preference,” “family support,” and “social and cultural activities.” Difficulty to change the existing meals, poor family support, practice of eating out, and social and cultural gatherings were among the factors that influenced diabetes patients’ adherence toward dietary therapy. Most challenges were related to the social role of food in the multicultural population. Therefore, in addition to the family and community involvement, dietary therapy should be individualized to improve patient adherence.

School Health Policy & Practice

Significantly revised and updated, the new 7th edition provides the latest guidelines for developing health programs, including nutrition services, medication administration, physicial activity and sports, and the school environment. New in the 7th edition: New content on school health in medical education, family and community involvement, staff wellness, and more Updates on the role of the school physician, school nurse, and guidance on school-based screening, serving populations with unique needs such as allergies and asthma, mental health and social services, and program assessment and evaluation

Re-examining Indigenous Conceptualizations of Family and Community Involvement

In this article, I highlight the importance of schools and educators serving Indigenous children and youth to draw upon the power of family and community engagement that is culturally defined and guided by Indigenous values and knowledge systems. In addressing these concepts, I draw upon my own personal narratives and current research with American Indian families in an urban setting. The expectation of this research was to develop an understanding of how parents respond to a process of constructing healthy and purposeful relations between the home and school for student success among American Indian families living in an urban setting. Throughout, I use the terms Native American, American Indian, and Indigenous peoples interchangeably. Native American and American Indian refers specifically to Indigenous peoples of the United States. When I use the term Indigenous peoples, it is intended to reflect people joining in the global effort to decolonize their worldviews and reposition our epistemology and ontology.