Walking in two worlds with type 2 diabetes: a scoping review of prevention and management practices incorporating traditional indigenous approaches

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Authors: Lynette Bonin, Sydney Levasseur-Puhach, Michelle Guimond, Melissa Gabbs, Brandy Wicklow, Belinda Vandenbroeck, Sherry Copenace, Meagan Delaronde, Lucas Mosienko, Jonathan McGavock, Laurence Y. Katz, Leslie E. Roos, Linda Diffey, Allison Dart
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2022
• Subjects: Indigenous; scoping review; traditional approaches; type 2 diabetes; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2022.2141182; https://doaj.org/article/0eff3d8ba05b4e6ba7e7562af3bb3f69

Type 2 diabetes is a complex chronic disease rapidly increasing among young people and disproportionately impacting Indigenous youth. Treatment programs are often inadequate for this population as they lack cultural relevance. A scoping review was conducted to explore traditional Indigenous approaches for diabetes prevention and management, to inform a program aimed at supporting Indigenous youth and families with type 2 diabetes. We seek to answer the following question: “Which traditional medicines and practices have been incorporated into intervention or prevention strategies for Indigenous people living with diabetes?” Search was done June 2021 using Ovid Medline, ESBCO and ProQuest databases. Terms included wellbeing, intervention, diabetes, and traditional approaches. Of the 2138 titles screened, 34 met inclusion criteria. Three studies integrated traditional Indigenous approaches into Western-based intervention programming. Content included traditional food and nutrition programs, gardening programs, Elder knowledge sharing, story telling, talking circles, feasting, prayer, traditional dancing, hunting, and school-based wellness curricula. Many were wholistic, co-created with community, Indigenous-led and held in accessible community spaces. The heterogeneity in approaches reflects the diversity of Indigenous nations and communities. This review identifies important elements to include in culturally relevant programs to address diabetes-related wellness.