First Nation Children 25 Times More Likely to Have Type 2
A newly released study has found that children in First Nations communities are 25 times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes compared to other children in Manitoba.
The study was conducted by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (MCHP) in partnership with the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM).
It looked at how many people in Manitoba had type 2 diabetes, the healthcare services they were receiving as well as their complications as it was First Nations communities are proportionally affected.
The number of younger people in Manitoba diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased by more than 50% in the past decade. Approximately 109,000 Manitobans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, with more people being diagnosed with the disease each year.
It was noted that First Nations individuals are accessing primary care at a similar rate as all other Manitobans, but the care received is not reducing the complications from type 2 diabetes, such as leg and foot amputations and kidney failure.
In a press release, the study’s investigators noted that the disease has often been naively associated with lifestyle choices, leading people with the illness to blame themselves while health care professionals fail to look for other solutions. In the management of type 2 diabetes these would include healthcare as well as addressing the other inequalities such as poverty, racism, and the effects of colonialism and food security issues.
The report urged that type 2 diabetes care cannot have a one-size, fits-all approach, especially in First Nations communities, which need strategies that work for their unique needs.