Preventing Diabetes in Atlantic Canada

A report prepared by Susan Lilley for
The Population and Public Health Branch
Atlantic Regional Office
Health Canada

June 2000

PDF Format (143 KB)

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Health Canada.

Également disponible en français sous le titre Prévenir le diabète au Canada atlantique.

Readers may reproduce this document in whole or in part. Please credit the source as follows:

Preventing Diabetes in Atlantic Canada. 2000. Produced by S. Lilley for the Population and Public Health Branch, Atlantic Regional Office, Health Canada.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This document was written by Susan Lilley and produced under the guidance of the Atlantic Region Federal/Provincial Diabetes Committee, which includes:

Andrea Aucoin, Population and Public Health Branch, Atlantic Region, Health Canada Allan Corbett, Department of Health and Community Services, Newfoundland Peggy Dunbar, Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia Gisèle McCaie-Burke, Department of Health and Wellness, New Brunswick Jane Oram, Population and Public Health Branch, Atlantic Region, Health Canada Laraine Poole, Department of Health and Social Services, Prince Edward Island

The epidemiological data were provided by Mike Pennock of the Population Health Research Unit, Dalhousie University. Glenda Dell, Provincial Diabetes Program of PEI, Stacey Lewis, Cape Breton Wellness Centre, and Judy Purcell, Canadian Cancer Society, generously gave of their time to test an early draft of the diabetes prevention survey. An earlier draft of this report was reviewed by members of the Atlantic Region Federal/Provincial Diabetes Committee as well as Neala Gill, Canadian Diabetes Association, Jane Farquharson, Heart Health Nova Scotia, and Glenda Dell.

The work would not have been possible without the generous and patient contribution of both time and expertise by many, many people from all four Atlantic provinces. We thank you all.

The Population and Public Health Branch, Atlantic Region

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Introduction

Section One: A Population Health Approach to Diabetes

Section Two: Current Status: Diabetes in Atlantic Canada

Section Three: Current Prevention Activity
Survey Method
Survey Response and Limitations
Survey Results

Activity aimed at preventing diabetes
Activity aimed at reducing the risk factors for diabetes
Activity aimed at improving health and well-being
Initiatives aimed at specific populations
Approaches for bringing about change
Capacity for partnerships and intersectoral collaboration
Challenges and barriers to primary prevention
Upcoming initiatives

Conclusions of the Survey

Section Four: Concerted Action to Prevent Diabetes
Conclusions

Endnotes
Bibliography

Appendix: Organizations that responded to the survey

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1: Survey contacts and responses, by province or region

Figure 1: Percentage of the population with diabetes

Figure 2: Percentage of the population with diabetes, by province, 1996/97

Figure 3: Percentage of different age groups with diabetes, 1996/97

Figure 4: Percentage of different income groups with diabetes, 1996/97

Figure 5: Percentage of the population with diabetes, by education,1996/97

Figure 6: Percentage of the population that is overweight, by province 1996/97

Figure 7: Percentage of the population that is inactive, by province 1996/97

Figure 8: Distribution of organizations that responded to the survey, by province or region

Figure 9: Overlapping objectives that contribute to the prevention of diabetes

Figure 10: Distribution of initiatives received in the survey, by objective

Figure 11: Distribution of provincial/regional initiatives received in the survey, by risk factor for diabetes

Figure 12: Populations addressed by the initiatives received in the survey, by life stage

Figure 13: Percentage of initiatives received in the survey that use each approach

Please note that this document was published by Health Canada prior to the announcement of the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada on September 24, 2004. Any reference to Health Canada should be assumed to be to the Public Health Agency of Canada.