Cultural continuity, traditional Indigenous language, and diabetes in Alberta First Nations: a mixed methods study

IntroductionWe used an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach to study the association between cultural continuity, self-determination, and diabetes prevalence in First Nations in Alberta, Canada.
Methods:
We conducted a qualitative description where we interviewed 10 Cree and Blackfoot leaders (members of Chief and Council) from across the province to understand cultural continuity, self-determination, and their relationship to health and diabetes, in the Alberta First Nations context. Based on the qualitative findings, we then conducted a cross-sectional analysis using provincial administrative data and publically available data for 31 First Nations communities to quantitatively examine any relationship between cultural continuity and diabetes prevalence.
Results:
Cultural continuity, or ?being who we are?, is foundational to health in successful First Nations. Self-determination, or ?being a self-sufficient Nation?, stems from cultural continuity and is seriously compromised in today?s Alberta Cree and Blackfoot Nations. Unfortunately, First Nations are in a continuous struggle with government policy. The intergenerational effects of colonization continue to impact the culture, which undermines the sense of self-determination, and contributes to diabetes and ill health. Crude diabetes prevalence varied dramatically among First Nations with values as low as 1.2% and as high as 18.3%. Those First Nations that appeared to have more cultural continuity (measured by traditional Indigenous language knowledge) had significantly lower diabetes prevalence after adjustment for socio-economic factors (p =0.007).
Conclusions:
First Nations that have been better able to preserve their culture may be relatively protected from diabetes.

Source: http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/13/1/92

sport medical Massage St Albans">sport news news