Uso de métodos participativos en el desarrollo de un programa de educación para el autocuidado de la diabetes en adultos mayores en Canadá

Abstract

The following paper presents preliminary findings of a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aimed to engage seniors in the development, design, implementation, and evaluation of an educational program in self-management for seniors with diabetes. Methods: Using PAR, we will engage seniors with diabetes in understanding their experiences with diabetes self-management through the implementation of participatory processes in a rural community in Ontario, Canada. We present our experiences engaging community members in our advisory committee, using the PRECEDE-PROCEED model to assess the community needs and planning the implementation of a World café and photovoice participatory methods. Conclusion: Identifying the factors and barriers influencing education in self-management and determining the broader social determinants of health are critical to addressing social and health inequities for seniors. Among the factors that contribute to the suboptimal practice of self-care management in older adults, health literacy has been identified as an essential and potentially ameliorable issue. By using participatory methods of engagement, we will give voice to the unique needs of seniors with diabetes. We have also learned that the use of participatory methods must be based on the context in which the research takes place.