Windspeaker Health Watch - November 2014

HIV, AIDs among Aboriginal women to be examined

Digging Deep, a three-year community-based pilot project, will examine why Aboriginal women in Saskatchewan are disproportionately represented with HIV and AIDS. Co-principal investigator and First Nations University of Canada professor Carrie Bourassa hopes the research project will set the tone for provincial and national strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of this disease in Aboriginal women. “Too many times researchers go into communities and they stigmatize Aboriginal women, and what we want to do is work with Aboriginal women on their strengths rather than go in there looking at negative aspects,” Bourassa told the Leader-Post. The project was spurred on by the increase of new cases from 2003 to 2010 with Saskatchewan having the highest rates of HIV at twice the national average, or 20.8 per 100,000 people. Aboriginal women under the age of 30 represent a disproportionate number of new cases.

Indigenous issues will be included as the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging tackles the issue of the growing onset of dementia and related illnesses. The consortium, a national initiative, will receive $31.5 million over five years from the federal government. Dr. Kristen Jacklin, associate professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in the field of medical anthropology, is one of 47 principal investigators on the CCNA and is co-leading a research team called “Team 20: Issues in dementia care for rural and Indigenous populations.” Its first two years of research will be spent working with Manitoulin First Nations health centres. Dr. Debra Morgan (University of Saskatchewan) is leading the rural research projects while Dr. Jacklin and Dr. Carrie Bourassa (First Nations University) are leading the Indigenous research stream. Jacklin’s team will receive $1 million in funding to carry out research that will focus on examining pathways to dementia care for Indigenous people and identifying effective cultural approaches to care; the development of culturally appropriate cognitive assessment protocols for use in Aboriginal communities; capacity building for age-related Indigenous dementia research; and regional incidence and prevalence, patterns of care, and multi-morbidities concerning dementia in rural and Indigenous populations. “The prevalence of dementia is rising faster in First Nations people,” said Jacklin. Factors that likely contribute to this are an aging population and the fact that Aboriginal people are living longer than ever, higher rates of related illnesses, such as diabetes, as well as high blood pressure and heart disease.

A study of diabetes-related hospitalization of adults in Alberta has determined that older First Nations patients with diabetes are at greater risk for diabetes-specific hospitalizations than their non-First Nations counterparts. The study, undertaken by a group led by David JT Campbell, concluded that older First Nations patients with diabetes should be given priority access to primary care services as they are at greatest risk for requiring hospitalization for stabilization of their condition. The study identified 183,654 adults with diabetes, and followed them for one year for the outcome of hospitalization or emergency department visit for diabetes-specific ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between First Nations status and the outcome, assessing for effect modification by age and multi-morbidity. The study was published in Diabetology &Metabolic Syndrome 2014.

The First Nations Health Managers Association and the First Nations Wellness/Addiction Counsellor Certification Board have signed a partnership agreement to undertake joint efforts in the development of strategies and initiatives to advance and improve First Nations’ health status. “This memorandum of understanding is a commitment to professional development and to contributing to capacity building in all areas of health,” said David McLaren, president FNHMA. The agreement will see joint initiatives in the area of strategic alliances, partnerships, and shared services.

Sarah Abbott, associate professor in the University of Regina’s film department, plans to capture on her film her research into why Indigenous youth are more likely to commit suicide compared to other Canadians. Abbott said according to the Centre for Suicide Prevention, suicide and self-inflicted injuries are the leading cause of death for First Nations youth and adults up to 44 years of age. She said she became interested in the subject matter after delivering an eight-week media literacy project for youth at the Rainbow Youth Centre. “I hope the information this film holds is of use to people — Indigenous youth, policy-makers, non-Indigenous people — to bring an understanding,” Abbott told the Leader Post.