Health

Cree Pride” program added to usual counselling: will it prevent diabetes risk better?

The younger generation is of vital importance to communities. Change is envisioned to benefit the 7th generation.

The Driftpile Health Center has been looking at diabetes in Driftpile with the help of the BRAID project and the University of Alberta (Doctor Toth). It has been found that there is a lot of diabetes risk for the Community’s children. The Community also has higher than average diabetes rates. Diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure needing dialysis, amputations and heart attacks. While diabetes can be “controlled”, it never goes away, and the costs of “control” are significant.

There was no diabetes in Driftpile 50 years ago. Most people believe diabetes is caused by the changes in lifestyle that have accompanied colonization. While some families may be more affected than others, almost every family in Driftpile is affected by diabetes.

Diabetes can be prevented. BRAID-Kids will test ways of preventing diabetes risk by working with children and families. BRAID-Kids will test a “usual” way of preventing diabetes consisting of counseling and advice from health professionals (nurses and dietitians) against a different strategy that includes consideration of how lifestyle and habits have been affected by colonization. This needs to be tested because the BRAID team believes that advice about exercise and eating habits is not enough. “Cree Pride” will address spiritual and emotional aspects to provide further balance.