Diabetes Care in the Sioux Lookout Zone

 Context

The estimated prevalence of diabetes among First Nations people residing in the Sioux Lookout Zone of Northern Ontario is 17%. Across Canada, rates of type 2 diabetes are 2.5 to 4 times higher among First Nations people compared to the general population, with higher rates among women. It has also been documented that Indigenous peoples in Canada experience disparities in diabetes-associated risk factors, diabetes-related complications, and mortality. A resolution by the Chiefs in Assembly passed at the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) Annual General Meeting recognized that diabetes is endemic in the First Nations communities in the Sioux Lookout region. It further directed SLFNHA to conduct a comprehensive review of current diabetes research and knowledge and its relevance to First Nations communities as well as existing programs and resources which provided diabetes education, treatment, support and preventative health services.

 Aim

The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of diabetes service provision in the Sioux Lookout Zone through the perspective of patients, community stakeholders and service providers, and to identify facilitators and barriers to optimizing diabetes care in this region.  Through a mixed method design, the study also contributed to creating an evidence-based foundation for developing future diabetes care initiatives and serve as a baseline for these initiatives.