Diabetes: A Family Matter

Diabetes: A Family Matter - Community

The Appalachian Community

Though the region now known as the "Appalachian Region" did not exist as a recognized entity until the 1960s, shared historical, cultural, geographic, and economic realities have bound together the peoples of the Appalachian Mountains and foothills regions throughout American history.

The Community section of Diabetes: A Family Matter presents information to help explain the distinctive realities shared by the citizens living within Appalachia, especially insofar as it creates an understanding of the relationship between the Appalachian people and Diabetes.

What is available in the Community section?

Appalachian Region: This section of the website provides information and resources pertaining to the Appalachian region and concerns relevant to its people. You will find a variety of resources here that will likely be useful as health concerns of those residing in the Appalachian region are considered.
Appalachian Culture: Culture plays an important role in understanding, addressing, and meeting the health care needs of any people. This section of the website provides information about Appalachian culture, its way of life, and helps answer the question “Who is an Appalachian?”
Diabetes in Appalachia: Diabetes-related problems may be of even greater concern in the Appalachian region than was previously estimated. This section of the website discusses diabetes in Appalachia and the challenges families and individuals face with managing the disease.
Maps of Appalachia: The Appalachian region closely follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains as it traverses from north to south. Beginning in southwestern New York, the region includes parts of 12 states and the whole of West Virginia. This section of the website contains various maps of the Appalachian region.
State and National Resources: This section of the website provides information about the 13 states and 420 counties that comprise the Appalachian region.
References: In this section you will find a list of useful references for many different topics pertaining to Appalachia and health concerns relevant to people living in the geographic region.
Web Resources: In this section you will find a list of useful web resources for many different topics pertaining to Appalachia and health concerns relevant to people living in the geographic region.

Featured Videos

"A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains"

We could talk about the reality of two different faces of the Appalachian region, one is much like the mainstream but the other still has large economic and social problems. In the hills of Central Appalachia, up winding, mountain roads, is a place where some children and families face unthinkable conditions, livi ng without what most Americans take for granted. This 2009 TV presentation raised great concern from many that live in Appalachia who are concerned that the story shown was not the complete story of Appalachia. The focus on the negative concerns failed to describe the many positives realized in these places.

Appalachian Mountain Montage

Images of the oldest mountains in the hemisphere taken from "Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People" -- the first environmental history series ever made.
PBS Broadcast date: April 9th, 2009.

Diabetes: A Family Matter