Diabetes Education & Prevention
In recent years, the primary focus of AAIA’s diabetes prevention program has been the creation of educational gatherings. These gatherings are not targeted at health care providers. Rather, the target is the larger population of Indian people diagnosed with or at risk for diabetes and their families. At these educational gatherings, diabetics learn about how to take better care of themselves while their family members and those at risk learn how to prevent the development of diabetes in themselves and how better to help care for a diabetic family member.
The approach has been to provide a comfortable, enjoyable, non-intimidating, non-clinical environment in which to learn about diabetes, diet and nutrition, physical activity for the able and disabled, and “taking control of your numbers”, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, hemoglobin-a-1-c, and cholesterol. Much of the education and physical activity takes place in small group workshops where people are more comfortable asking questions. The opportunity is also provided to ask questions anonymously. Another important aspect of the conferences has been the incorporation of traditional foods and cultural practices. An ancillary purpose of the conferences has been to educate tribal leadership about the nature and extent of the epidemic and the cultural and economic costs if it is not addressed.
The model for these gatherings was developed together with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community in Minnesota, which annually hosts a Northern Plains Native American Diabetes and Heart Disease Prevention Conference based upon the model developed by AAIA and Shakopee. AAIA co-hosted and was integrally involved with the planning and organizing of the first three conferences.
Using this model, AAIA co-hosted a conference with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut in March 2004 for the Indian communities in New England and a conference organized by the Nebraska Inter-tribal Health Coalition in Nebraska that was held in South Sioux City, Nebraska in April 2005. AAIA also provided critical support for a conference that was held by the tribes of Kansas in Mayetta, Kansas in of October 2006.
In addition, AAIA’s summer camp program has funded several summer camps with a diabetes prevention focus in the last few years.
In 2007, we funded the Fort Defiance Wilderness, Cultural and Community Enhancement Program, the Wellness Camp for American Indian Youth with Type II Diabetes run by the University of Arizona Native American Research & Training Center, Monache Meadow/LPPSR Cultural Leadership Camp and the American Indian Center Positive Paths Program Language Mural Project.
In 2006, we funded the Fort Defiance Wilderness, Cultural and Community Enhancement Program, the Wellness Camp for American Indian Youth with Type II Diabetes run by the University of Arizona Native American Research & Training Center and the San Carlos Apache 2006 Diabetes Education Kid's Camp.
In 2005, we funded the Poarch Band Creek Diabetes Camp in Dadeville, Alabama, the Wellness Camp for American Indian Youth with Type II Diabetes run by the University of Arizona Native American Research & Training Center and Wa-nonh-pah-zee, Looking into the Future and Beyond which was organized by the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.
In 2004, we funded a family camp run by Denver Indian Health and Family Services. The camp identified several youth that were “high risk” for developing diabetes based on such criteria as their weight and family history for diabetes. These youth and their families attended the camp. The primary goal of the camp was to increase the families’ knowledge of diabetes prevention through better nutrition and increased exercise. It was run by a nurse practitioner, youth prevention specialist and a diabetes case manager. It included educational presentations, as well as physical activities such as a 1-2 mile hike on a mountain trail.