Community Partnership, Context-based Intervention and Diabetes Control in Thailand

• Main Authors: Naruemon Auemaneekul, Pimsupa Chandanasotthi, Tassanee Rawiworrakul, Napaporn Sowattanangoon, Wimonrat Boonsatean, นฤมล เอื้อมณีกูล, พิมสุภาว์ จันทนะโสตถิ์, ทัศนีย์ รวิวรกุล, นภาพร โสวัฒนางกูร, วิมลรัตน์ บุญเสถียร
• Other Authors: Mahidol University. Faculty of Public Health. Department of Public Health Nursing
• Format: Original Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Community partnership; contextbased intervention; DM control; การมีส่วนร่วมของชุมชน; บริบทชุมชน; การควบคุมเบาหวาน
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/63759
• Institution: Mahidol University

This study aimed to explore DM situation, solutions, and effecting action plans for DM controlin Ang Thong, one of the top fi ve provinces for DM prevalence in Thailand. The study was a qualitative study applying Appreciation Infl uence Control (AIC) as a technique to build participation among five communities. Community partnerships in each community comprised 4 groups: 1) people with DM, people at risk for DM and their family members, 2) health care volunteers, 3) local health care officers and 4) community leaders. Each group comprised 8 participants recruited for group discussion and brainstorming. Content analysis was applied as a method for data analysis from 25 group discussions. The findings showed that diabetes is difficult to control because of nonadherence in treatment, undercontrolled blood sugar levels, limited awareness, lack of exercise, and poor knowledge about DM. The analysis also revealed the infl uence of cultural norms, especially, consuming food with high sugar and cholesterol content during traditional holidays among community partners. Moreover, the beliefs in karma and attitudes toward illness impede the successful rate for diabetes screening among at risk groups in communities. The community partners at the end of the study proposed 5 context based interventions to combat DM in their own context. These projects include: herb club against DM, local wisdom for DM prevention, yoga against DM, Thai ascetic yoga for health and sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke) for DM control. The study proposed DM control strategies that give special consideration to culturally and contextually appropriate interventions.