DIABETES AND FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE IN ALBERTA

• Main Authors: Brenda R. Hemmelgarn, Ellen L. Toth, Malcolm King, Lynden Crowshoe, Kelli Ralph-campbell, Key Messages
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: First Nations; inuit
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.518.9011; http://www.albertadiabetes.ca/pdf/atlas/Ch9_DMandFirstNations.pdf

• The incidence and prevalence of diabetes is more than twice as high among First Nations people, for both males and females, compared to non-First Nations people. • The increased incidence and prevalence of diabetes for First Nations compared to non-First Nations has remained constant from 1995 to 2005. • Among First Nations people, the incidence and prevalence of diabetes are higher among females compared to males. BACKGROUND The past century has witnessed an epidemiological shift in the diseases affecting Aboriginal populations. Infectious diseases and starvation have given way to chronic disease epidemics like obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.(1) Limited data is available regarding the burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) among the Aboriginal population although national estimates from the First Nations and Inuit Regional Health Survey showed prevalence rates of diabetes to be 8 % and 13 % for First Nations men and women, respectively.(2) The more recent 2002/2003 Regional Health Survey report indicates that the prevalence rates have