Janeway Children’s Hospital: Reducing the risk of diabetes in indigenous youth

Insulin Resistance Prevention And Management Program: Reducing The Risk Of Diabetes In Indigenous Youth

Janeway Lifestyle Program in Newfoundland has a successful Insulin Resistance Prevention and Management (IRPM) program, which is being adapted for Indigenous youth in Newfoundland and Labrador who have insulin resistance and are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The project team is working closely with Indigenous health partners and community champions so that they can create useful and culturally appropriate resources to help prevent type 2 diabetes.

IRPM Program Components

This program focuses on the following pillars:

Be Active:

Being active means moving our bodies whenever possible through physical activity or play, and less sedentary (inactivity).

• The IRPM Program contains 10 weeks of resistance training
  • 2 sessions per week in community setting
  • 1 session per week at home

Eat Well:

Eating well means learning to eat and enjoy a variety of foods and beverages. These foods and beverages are the basis of your health and well-being.

• Key nutritional messages will be reviewed at each session of the IRPM Program

Feel Good:

Feeling good about yourself means having a sense of contentment and overall wellness.  

• Body positive approach used during all IRPM sessions

Current Progress

• Consulting with Indigenous and other groups across the province to determine needs
• Creation of manuals and teaching materials in partnership with Indigenous groups
• Training of 7 community members from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities has taken place to lead IRPM programs in their home communities
• Evaluation process has begun with a survey of those who have completed training to assess the effectiveness of the training and materials

Evaluation

The IRPM program expansion will be evaluated through a few methods.

1. Youth engagement will be assessed and feedback will be gather regarding the program and facilitators, as well as from caregivers or family regarding youth’s participation in the program
2. Facilitator engagement will be assessed through feedback about program uptake, resources, and success/ease of running the program
3. National uptake will be considered through gathering information from the Meant2Prevent resource hub once this is available for teams in other provinces

Future

• Framework for others to run the program with other remote indigenous communities throughout Canada.
• The program will be available for download on the Meant2Prevent HUB once completed.