DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH

“MAKE YOUR ENVIRONMENT MATCH YOUR HEALTH GOALS”

DEBRA TOUSELY – Public Health Registered Dietician

It’s November and that time of year to raise awareness in the community about diabetes. In the past, Jemez Public Health has focused on bringing attention to this disease through education, activities, and support. For this year’s awareness campaign, Jemez Public Health is back again to educate about this dangerous, yet often silent disease, while also raising awareness around the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) that influence a person’s risk of developing diabetes. SDOH grounds Public Health practice and has a major impact on people's health, well-being, and quality of life. Examples of SDOH include safe housing, transportation, and food security. Put simply, SDOH are non-medical factors that influence health and usually are resolved through system or policy changes that include accessibility to care, access to healthy foods, cultural or racial justice, and a living wage with a safe environment.

For example inside the body, diabetes is caused by consistently high levels of sugar in the blood, which can damage the eyes, gums, kidneys, and nerves. As a complex health issue, managing this disease requires a team of providers and health professionals to meet standards of care. The high levels of sugar in the blood are the medical factors that indicate a person is diabetic. Other medical factors that put a person at risk for developing diabetes include being overweight, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

However, the SDOH factors that create the conditions for a whole community to develop diabetes may include a lack of access to healthy foods, a shortage of providers in rural healthcare facilities, a low working wage that makes it hard to purchase healthy food, and a toxic home environment. In fact, according to the CDC, the most significant SDOH that increases the risk of developing diabetes include:

• Household Income

• Education Level

• Race

• The Physical Environment (ex: stable housing and exposure to toxins) and:

• The Food Environment (food insecurity)

This November, it is critical we understand the role SDOH plays in developing diabetes because they contribute between 30% and 55% of health outcomes. (Some studies suggest as much as 90%).

At Jemez Public Health we are doing the work to prevent, reverse, and manage diabetes on a community and population level. This November is packed with activities and events. You will also receive updates on how the Food Sovereignty Team is increasing access to healthy food through the Road Runner Food Bank and Public Health Farm. We will update you on the AMAZING work performed by our Environmental Health Program that is empowering community members to learn how to live in a pest-free home. Furthermore, Our Health Education Team is BACK in the schools educating youth on healthy lifestyle habits and collaborating with Community Wellness to ensure all youth receive the education they need to navigate the fast-food environment through the Walatowa Trail Club! And last, we will be ensuring community members have access to the care they need to manage their diabetes with our Wellness Wednesdays and Road Map to Wellness Event happening on Wednesday, November 29th!

Stay tuned because the healthy choice is becoming the easy choice as the Public Health Team works to match your environment to your health goals!

MAKE SURE AND JOIN US FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENTS!