Using community theater to improve diabetes education in Fiji

Abstract

Diabetes afflicts upwards of 425 million people globally with 80% of that number living in the developing world. The World Health Organization has declared diabetes a global health threat. Here, we describe a Community Theater (CT) project implemented in Fiji, a nation where 30% of the adult population is diabetic. Current diabetes education methods used by the Ministry of Health in Fiji have proven to be ineffective in stemming the growing incidence of the disease. Our research hypothesis was that significant improvements would occur from baseline in the physical and psychosocial markers among a group of outpatients being treated at a diabetic clinic who were exposed to CT interventions over a 23-month period. Significant improvement in HbA1c levels occurred in the intervention group compared to a control group that was not exposed to CT. We conclude that novel educational approaches are needed, including CT, to combat the growing epidemic of diabetes that threatens Fiji and all other Pacific Island nations.