NBAPC - Community Diabetes Education and Prevention Program - Diabetes Health Fairs and Events

NBAPC - Community Diabetes Education and Prevention Program
320 St. Mary's Street,
Fredericton, NB
E3A 2S4
Phone: 506-458-8422
Cell: 506-451-5435

Fax: 506-451-6130
diabetes@nbapc.org

Community Diabetes Education and Prevention Program

CDEPP

The Community Diabetes Education and Prevention Program or CDEPP is a diabetes prevention program and health promotion program focused on primary health prevention . CDEPP began in 2003 and the program has been funded by the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI), Health Canada until November 2009.

NBAPC offers the CDEPP program to off reserve aboriginal people living in New Brunswick.

CDEPP has offered many activties, events and sessions in the past.

CDEPP activities focuses on wholistic wellness, type 2 diabetes prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyle activities

CDEPP will continue to offer opportunites for people to learn more about diabetes prevention .

The goal of any CDEPP offered activity is to help people learn about healthier ways to live.

Activities include:

* Physical activity sessions and events like soccer games, indoor ball hockey, walking challenges and medicine walks
* PALS (Partners for Active Living and Support)
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Information about healthy lifestyle practices like stress management, healthy heart information, not smoking, healthy eating information sessions; and presentations about sugar found in beverages, fast food facts, healthy food choices and portion control
* Cooking sessions and community kitchens and special community events
* Summer, Winter and Fall Gatherings
* Youth and Elder Workshops
* Grocery store tours
* Summer Day Camps
* School Presentations and Health Fair
* CDEPP can help people who have type 2 diabetes learn more about their disease , what can be done to stay healthy and how to prevent complications
* CDEPP can offer one on one sessions to help people learn more about how to live healthier and prevent, delay or manage type 2 diabetes

Please contact CDEPP to provide an information session or activity in your community.

The overall goal of CDEPP is to address the high rates of diabetes and its complications among Metis, off - reserve Aboriginal people and urban Inuit by promoting a culturally appropriate approach to diabetes primary prevention and health promotion programs.

CDEPP objectives include:

1) Increase awareness of diabetes, diabetes risk factors, complications and of the strategies to prevent diabetes and diabetes complications among Aboriginal people;

2) Increase practice of healthy eating and active living behaviours among First Nation/inuit and Metis; and

3) Increase ownership and capacity to combat the disease.

Small steps can make a BIG difference.

Check out the other pages and links to learn more about type 2 diabetes

WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES?

Many, many aboriginal people have type 2 diabestes or are at risk for developing the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious disease and cause many health problems or complications!

Once you have diabetes, you have the disease for life!

* Diabetes is a disease which happens when your body does not make enough insulin or the body cannot use the insulin made by the body. It is a disease for life.
* The body needs insulin to change the sugar that comes from the food we eat into energy that is needed by the body. When there is a problem with insulin, glucose (sugar) levels increase in the blood.
* When blood sugar levels are higher than normal, a person then has diabetes.
* Damage to blood vessels happens when blood sugar levels stay high for too long. When blood sugars are not monitored and controlled, a person can develop symptoms and complications can damage can be done to the heart, to the eyes, to the hands and feet and to the kidneys.

ARE YOU AT RISK?

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Are you Aboriginal?
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Are you 40 years or older?
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Do you have a close relative (mother, father, and sibling) with diabetes?
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Have you had a baby over 9 lbs?
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Are you overweight?
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Do you carry extra weight in the abdominal area?
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Did you have gestational diabetes?
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Do you high cholesterol?
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Do you have high blood pressure?

Why are so many Aboriginal people at risk for type 2 diabetes?

The cause of the disease is related to the change in how people live.

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Aboriginal people traditionally were very active and ate foods much different from those eaten today. The traditional diet contains meat, seafood, fish, wild plants and berries. This traditional type of diet has changed and many of the foods eaten today are foods that are high in unhealthy fats and high in sugar.
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Many people do not get enough daily exercise. Once people were very active each day and this type of lifestyle has caned drasticall for many aboriginal people.

DIABETES FACTS

· Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and is a leading cause of death in Canada.

· More Aboriginal women develop type 2 diabetes than Aboriginal men.

· Aboriginal children are now developing type 2 diabetes some as young as 7 years of age.

Do you have any of these risks? If you do and have not been tested for type 2 diabetes. Ask your health care provider to test you for Diabetes.

GETTING TESTED

To find out if you have type 2 diabetes you need to be tested . This test is a blood test nd can be done at a hospital, at a health clinic and in some cases the test can be done in your doctor's office. Ask your health care provider to arrange the test for you.

TYPE 2 DIABETES CAN BE PREVENTED OR DELAYED

Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented! Take the steps towards a healthy lifestyle.

Each step taken can make a difference.

* Eat a healthy diet. Enjoy more vegetables and friuts,whole grain food and low fat foods
* Be active each day. Walk, swim, and run! Any physical activity for 15- 30 minutes a day can help. Aim for 60 minutes each day.
* Enjoy life! Laugh! Learn to manage the stress. Get enough sleep.
* Don't smoke! Learn more about traditional and non tradional use of tobacco .
* Aim for a healthy weight. If you are overweight, losing 5- 7% of the weight can make a difference.

Once you have diabetes, you have diabetes for life! So take good care of yourself!
Complications can occur when you have diabetes,so it is very impotant to have regular check ups.
You should have regular check to moitor your weight and blood pressure , and you should have tests to check your blood sugar, your eyes, kidneys, cholesterol and tests to check for nerve damage.

DIABETES COMPLICATIONS

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Heart disease
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Kidney disease
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Nerve damage ( periphera l neuropathy)
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Amputation
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Blindness
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Infections
* Heart disease or cardiovascular disease- heart attack, angina, stroke and poor circulation can be the result of high blood sugar levels. Diabetic men are twice as likely to have a heart attack; women three times as likely.
* Kidney disease-occur as a result of having type 2 diabetes and uncontrolled blood sugars.
* Nerve damage-many diabetics have nerve damage in the form of numbness in hands and feet, impotence, poor digestion or carpal tunnel syndrome.
* Amputation-many diabetics lose sensitivity to touch in their feet and injuries to their feet can go unnoticed. The loss of sensation, combined with poor circulation can lead to serious infections, which in turn can lead to amputations. Many amputations can be prevented if blood sugars are better controlled and if those with diabetes learn that foot care is very important and that either the person themselves or someone trained in foot care regularly does foot and nail care.
* Blindness- diabetes is the biggest cause of blindness in Canada.
* Infections-diabetics are more likely to suffer gum disease, flu, pneumonia and skin and other infections. Proper skin care and dental care is very important.
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Many diabetics benefit from being immunized yearly with the flu vaccine.

Please contact CDEPP with any questions or if you would like CDEPP to visit you or your community.

CDEPP is helping the New Brunswick off reserve Aboriginal community learn about ways to prevent type 2 diabetes and live a healthier lifestyle.