Diabetes in Aboriginal People

Diabetes in Aboriginal People

Introduction

Globally, survey data indicates that the incidents of diabetes and its prevalence rates are much higher in the population of indigenous people relative to the globe’s general population (Harris et al., 2013). The aborigines in Canada are generally a mixed population that is made up of persons of First Nations and persons of Métis and Inuit background that live in diverse environments ranging from isolated communities to small and more significant cities. Aboriginal persons in Canada are affected by diabetes at a rate that might be considered to be higher than the country’s general population. This paper shall focus on a health promotion strategy that addresses the issue of diabetes in the aboriginal people of Canada as well as analyze how the individual strategy addresses the particular subject in question.

Diabetes in Canadian Aboriginal Peoples

As mentioned earlier, the Canadian aboriginal population mostly comprises of persons of First Nations as well as persons from the Métis and Inuit background. National observational statistics in Canada have over the years indicated that the country’s generality of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is 3 to 5 times more amongst individuals of first nations than it is in the general population which averages at 2 to 5 times (Harris et al., 2013). Similarly, amongst individuals of first nations, the age of diagnosis is less or younger when compared to that of the general population. In the Métis community, disparities in gender exists, a factor that sees more persons of the female gender weighed down by type 2 diabetes in relation to their male counterparts. Studies indicate that the prevalence rates of diabetes amongst the aboriginals in Canada have more than doubled over the last two decades. Inuit and Métis women in Canada have shown to be experiencing increased rates of gestational diabetes mellitus i.e., GDM at a rate of 3 to 4 times higher than the ordinary population of women in Canada (Kumar & Preetha, 2012). All of these statistics indicate that the aboriginal community of Canada has a higher burden of diabetes that the general population.

Health Promotion Strategies

The aboriginal population of Canada can, to a more significant extent, be considered as a marginalized population. This means that the high rate of diabetes experienced in this population relative to the general population is mostly because this population is not given much attention in terms of diabetes screening and prevention measures. As such, one of the best healthcare promotional strategies ideal for addressing the increased issues of diabetes amongst the aboriginal persons of Canada is advocacy (Kumar & Preetha, 2012). Advocacy, as a health promotion strategy, seeks to promote the individual interest of a specific group of the population within a particular cause, which, in this case, the specific purpose is to advocate for is good health.

How Advocacy Addresses the Issue of Diabetes in Aboriginals

There are a number and various types of advocacies that individuals can use to change the current state of diabetes amongst the aborigines of Canada. Healthcare advocacy is mainly focused on helping individuals find their voices so that they can receive the necessary care that they deserve. The ideal advocacy type in this situation is system advocacy (Montgomery, 2018). As a measure of addressing the rising cases of diabetes amongst the aborigines of Canada, system advocacy entails changing the existing policies and laws that substantially impact the various ways that the system of healthcare effects one part of the population negatively in relation to the other in terms of healthcare. By advocating for fair policies and laws related to healthcare, the aboriginal people of Canada will not be heavily burdened by diabetes than the general Canadian population.

How Advocacy Meets the Requirements of Health Promotion

The use of advocacy as a strategy of health promotion gained considerable momentum following the Ottawa Charter on health promotion (Montgomery, 2018). As a health promotion strategy, advocacy aims at overcoming some of the significant occupational and public health concerns such as diabetes. The various forms of health promotion seek to promote the well-being of individuals by preventing and eradicating various ailments through several voluntary educational-driven behavioral change activities (Fish, 2015). Advocacy fits this description, given that it serves to promote health through education-driven behavioral change programs.

Barriers to Accessing Advocacy as a Health Promotion Strategy

There is a myriad of reasons that can prevent the aboriginal population of Canada from accessing advocacy as a health promotion strategy. First and foremost, poverty is the major challenge when it comes to accessing advocacy, given that, in most instances, issues of advocacy require the use of legal officers such as lawyers, which might be expensive. The other chief barrier to accessing advocacy is the social and cultural norms that surround health behaviors locals and the aboriginal population. In the indigenous people of Canada, instances of minimal literacy levels in health and a particular incomplete perception of health and the healthcare industry at large are one of the most significant challenges that limit advocacy as a health promotional strategy.

Evidence of the Effectiveness of Advocacy as a Health Promotion Strategy

Advocacy has been used on a majority of instances as a health promotional strategy. In countries like the United States, healthcare organizations have, over the years, been advocating for several programs that seek to prevent the progression of diabetes and pre-diabetes (Fish, 2015) again. In the United States, statistics from the National Institute of Health and the National Diabetes Education program indicates that a majority of the U.S citizens have been able to access treatment to diabetes. Such citizens also have accessed other diabetes preventive programs thanks to the role that different institutions and individuals have played in advocating for quality healthcare to persons living with diabetes. Even though in a majority of instances, advocating as a health promotion strategy has been viewed as a confrontational activity, it has been used in a majority of cases. Advocacy has been used to challenge influential anti-health interests amongst them, the renowned tobacco lobby, and it has proved to be successful in the long run.

Discussion

In relation to the evidence on the use of advocacy as a health promotion strategy, it is reasonable to conclude that advocacy has proven to be effective in advocating for different health issues and, most importantly, diabetes. A variety of other health promotion strategies such as mediating and enabling have not achieved the level of success that advocacy has achieved in ensuring the promotion of better quality healthcare to a country’s population. The major disadvantage of advocacy is that, in most instances, it is expensive to make use of, and it is not any other citizen that can afford it. As such, the government and any other relevant stakeholder in healthcare should ensure that advocates and other persons that make advocacy possible are reimbursed for their services so that advocacy can become less expensive and affordable to all.

Conclusion

The aboriginal population of Canada is one that is heavily burdened by diabetes. Statistics indicate that diabetes is prevalent 3 to 5 times more in the indigenous people of Canada when compared to the general population. One of the best health promotional strategies that can effectively address the issue of diabetes in this section of the Canadian community is advocacy. Advocacy has proven to be successful in promoting quality healthcare among patients in different countries. The significant challenge for accessing advocacy is the high cost involved though the government and other stakeholders can work on decreasing the associated cost of advocacy.

References

Fish, L. H. (2015). The society takes the lead to advocate for diabetes prevention and treatment. Endocrine news. https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/the-society-takes-the-lead-to-advocate-for-diabetes-prevention-and-treatment/

Harris, S. B., Bhattacharyya, O., Dyck, R., Hayward, M. N., & Toth, E. L. (2013). Type 2 diabetes in aboriginal peoples. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 37, S191-S196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2013.01.046

Kumar, S., & Preetha, G. (2012). Health promotion: An effective tool for global health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 37(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.94009

Montgomery, B. (2018). The pillars of prevention: Discover, advocate, and educate. Diabetes Spectrum, 31(1), 99-104. https://doi.org/10.2337/ds17-0078