Diabetes for Indigenous Australians

A Holistic approach is fundamental in the aspect of Health and Wellness, not just for a sound mind but also for a fit body. As such, the endeavor to a better living is not without it’s faults. Australians struggle everyday to attain that continuum with programs and activities that better enable them to meet their goals, and one of those issues are Diabetes, for which part most are Type 2. It is a potentially preventable disease we’re the core causes of it are usually inadequate physical activity and poor dietary management.

Over the years there have been programs that help aid the fight with this illness, and in that time there is still much to learn about it. On how it affects people based on their differences, how the culture may or may not hinder the prospect of growth and development, the well being of Australians, more so the Indigenous Australians as they are more susceptible to encounter this illness in their lifetime. Also further knowledge would enable to facilitate further understanding of the disease and in doing so, would aid in the plight for wellness.

According to World Health Organization, Diabetes is a chronic disease, that occurs when a person’s pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produce thus leading to an increase in concentration of glucose in the blood (WHO 2013), There are 2 main types, Type 1 Diabetes, which usually occurs from a younger population-childhood or young adulthood, it’s when the pancreas no longer produces the insulin needed.

On the other hand, Type 2 Diabetes, are the ones that stem from older generations, usually adults over the age of 45 though reports have shown it occurring at a younger age, that are usually aggravated by poor dietary management and lack of physical activity, it occurs when the pancreas is not producing adequate insulin and the insulin is not working effectively as it is suppose to. For Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians most population suffer from Type II Diabetes, it is one of the leading cause of death and approximately 3. million Australians have been diagnosed with this disease (Australian Diabetes Council 2012), the highest of which are Indigenous Australian which are around 3 times more likely to have it, thus the impact of diabetes in the lives of people often cycle with their living issues, as poverty hinders growth and understanding and likewise their means of coping with the disease are reflected with reports of anxiety, stress or sometimes depression, or sometimes even death.

The first case of diabetes recorded among Indigenous people was in Adelaide in 1923; in the past Indigenous people were healthy and did not suffer from this illness. But in the 1960s there was a study found that showed the correlation of attaining diabetes to the development of the “westernized lifestyle”. Since then Type 2 Diabetes has been accredited as a critical importance in the health dilemmas for the First People across Australia.

Following that subsequent studies have found that an ever more input should be placed upon the aspect on how to proceed in terms of, how to deal with the situation at hand and improve the care provided based on that foundation. According to HealthInfonet (2007) the prevalence of this disease are among Indigenous people come from surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the more recent was done on 2004-2005 by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NSTSIHS).

In the report it shows that 6% of Indigenous people who participated have Diabetes or shows signs of a high amount of sugar levels, these problems were frequently reported by Indigenous people who inhabit rural areas 9%, than those living in non-remote areas 5%. The least affected group is the young people while as they grow older the numbers of cases increase exponentially. There are several factors that agitate diabetes but for the most part it is obesity that aggravates it.

Primarily type II diabetes is a preventable disease, by just a change of how and what you consume a day and also proper weight management through regular exercise. But what happens is that because of the previous history that transpired between the Indigenous Australians and the Non-Indigenous Australians they have this wall of animosity that had gone through the colonization and has hindered the information to be given and accepted through distrust, racism and other dilapidating factors (Australian Indigenous HealthInfonet 2007).

Indigenous people, some that are in a state of poverty, opted for thrifty and cheaper alternative to their diet that was introduced by commercialized industries. This in turn, without knowingly, had a decline in their concept of what the proper nutrients that are needed for physiological equilibrium and has hindered their health dramatically over the years because of instability whether it is financially, socially or economically (Thackrah and Scott 2011), leading to an nmanaged weight and lack of knowledge or understanding that increases rate of mortality that is likewise preventable

The perspective of the Indigenous people livelihood from a socioeconomic aspect, are reflected by low income due to lack of better jobs that is the cause of low leveled education, and in turn a decline of understanding leading to the hesitance to access health service which are sometimes provided. These factors aid in the inability of these people to access of a higher status of health and also their inability to partake in improvement that would be beneficial to them (Willis, Reynolds and Keleher 2012).

Within those factors education provides a vital role in the stance with improvement or oneself and others. As an increase in knowledge and understanding, the environmental barriers may be tossed for improvement. Also it goes without saying that the health worker, or individuals that are faced with the prospect of aiding the Indigenous people should have an understanding on the management and treatment of each people to better enable certain programs to facilitate lifestyle improvement.

The Diabetes management and care program is a recognized project by the government of Western Australia in Kimberly, it is manage by Indigenous communities and their aim is to arrest the rising incidence of Type II Diabetes by working with the people in developing own health plan that lets them sustain and manage it themselves.

They also promote the improvement of health to residents by incorporating the prevention, management, treatment and care for people suffering Diabetes, also they promote lifestyle changes for a healthier community. http://www. who. int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/ http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/chronic-conditions/diabetes/reviews/our-review http://www. australiandiabetescouncil. com/Home http://www. australiandiabetescouncil. com/About-Diabetes/Diabetes-Facts http://www. ealthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/key-resources/programs-projects? pid=802 http://www. caritas. org. au/learn/countries/australia http://www. kwinana. wa. gov. au/Documents/Publications/Healthy-Lifestyles-Plan. aspx http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/key-resources/programs-projects? pid=345 http://eview. anu. edu. au/cross-sections/vol6/pdf/ch05. pdf http://www. diabetesaustralia. com. au/Documents/DA/What’s%20New/12. 03. 14%20Diabetes%20management%20booklet%20FINAL. pdf References;