Bridging Culture and Care: A Mobile App for Diabetes Self-Care Honoring Native American Cultural Practices

Abstract

Diabetes presents a significant public health issue for Native Americans, exacerbated by cultural nuances often ignored by conventional healthcare. To address this, we introduce a mobile app designed with the cultural context of Native American populations in mind. The app's development followed participatory design principles, with direct input from Native American stakeholders through focus groups and interviews. The app features culturally tailored nutrition plans incorporating traditional foods, community-based support systems, and engagement with tribal health resources. An interface highlighting Native American heritage, along with gamification using cultural storytelling, aims to enhance user engagement and educational content is provided within a culturally relevant framework. This innovative integration of technology and cultural heritage in health management is anticipated to improve engagement, self-efficacy, and health outcomes for Native Americans with diabetes, serving as a blueprint for culturally sensitive health interventions.