HLTH614 Report on Type-2 Diabetes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities

Assessment 2: Report

Table of Contents

Introduction. 2

Main Body. 2

Conclusion. 5

References. 7

Health issue: Diabetes type-2 disorder

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes is an increasing chronic disease among the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people in Australia. The Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islander people are found to be at higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes as compared to the general population. It has been estimated that the prevalence of this disease in indigenous people is 3-4 times more as compared to occur in non-indigenous Australians. This paper mainly describes a disease that is prevalent among the aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people (Hare et al., 2022). Culture takes an important part in developing diabetes among the Aboriginals along with various other factors. The paper includes a short introduction that discusses about the historical context of type-2 diabetes among the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people. The paper then discusses about the issue from the perspective of cultural safety and cultural awareness. At last, the key outcomes of the entire paper have been presented in the conclusion section.

Main Body

Type 2 diabetes specifically has globally attained epidemic proportions as well as within Australia. The Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islander people are considered to fall into the socially disadvantaged groups. These people experience a high level of type 2 diabetes disproportionately. The factors which are contributing o diabetes among Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people mainly reflect the combination of social, cultural and wide historical factors along with the potential health risk factors. In the year 2012-2013, national estimates of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people ranged from 9 percent to 11 percent (Dyck et al., 2015). After carrying out age adjustment, the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people are over 3 times equal likely as the non-indigenous individuals to have diabetes. The Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people maintained lifestyles of previously found hunter-gatherers up until the late 18^th century, yet the arrival of the European people in the year 1788 led to major alterations in their lifestyle. The traditional activities related to cultural and familial practices as well as sustaining spiritual connection to the country have changed over time. Adverse changes in nutrition and physical activity played a significant role in the development of diabetes among the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander individuals, specifically in the 20^th centurys second half. In the year 2013, it has been found that the second root cause behind the death of Aboriginals is the diabetes disorder. The factors which contribute to the high rate of type 2 diabetes among the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people are complex and this can be located within both the biomedical and Indigenous framework. There are various factors that help to develop type-2 diabetes among the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders (Gonzales et al., 2021). The social stressor is considered as one of the major causes of developing type-2 diabetes among the Aboriginals which is often overlooked. The Indigenous perception is basically dependent on holistic health understanding.

The perception of health generally encompasses mental, physical, spiritual and emotional dimensions in certain aspects of inter-relationships formed between nations, communities, local ecosystems, and families. From the cultural perspective, type 2 diabetes can be found as intimate which is linked to the contemporary and historic colonization process. This also includes loss of traditional lifestyle as well as spirituality, marginalized bases of land, systematic disadvantages, assimilation, socio-cultural disruptions, and loss of control over the lifeway of an individual (Jena et al., 2018). Moreover, there are many other factors such as loss of community wellness, racism, stress, power imbalance, intergenerational trauma, discrimination and many more. The process of colonization has outcome in high poverty rates disturbingly, food insecurities, low attainment of education, and unemployment, making a contribution to the inordinate burden of the poor health Aboriginal experience of people. The intersecting health determinants manifest among the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders differently around the lifespan as well as several generations in order to influence both protective factors and risk factors related to the status of health (Christidis et al., 2021). They have the chance to influence access directly to various types of healthy food options as well as formal opportunities for physical activity within the communities of First Nation and health literacy plays an important role in the capability of a person in order to manage chronic disease.

The process of colonization sets a rapid transition in motion from a lifestyle that is active and physically revolving across fishing hunting as well as several food-collecting activities and dependence on a diet that is nutritionally dense and completely filled with traditional foods to living more of a sedentary lifestyle as well as relying on manufactured foods which are less nutritious that contains a huge amount of saturated fats and simple sugars. The transition has contributed to the higher obesity rates, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and impaired resistance of insulin among the Aboriginals; these are considered as the prime risk factors in the development of type-2 diabetes. For several years, loss of culture and language, linked with the intergenerational trauma mainly result to the loss of identity, self-esteem as well as self-worth, substance abuse and mental health problems (Hare et al., 2020). These main impacts have the ability to affect the ability of an individual to practice health behaviors that can lower the risk of establishing type 2 diabetes as well as these impacts also affects the ability of an individual to manage type 2 diabetes on their own self after onset, the outcome in a maximized risk of poor outcome of health from the disease.

Analyzing the above paragraphs, it can be said that culture impacts the health of the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people. It has been found that as they are a backward group, the healthcare providers do not provide them with proper care (Harris et al., 2017). They often discriminate while offering them with the care they need. This contributes to a major dispute. The geographical and many other obstacles to care become the major causes for the high type 2 diabetes prevalence and many other complications which are associated with diabetes among the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people. Many of the people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote and isolated communities and there the options to live healthily might be limited due to factors like lack of availability, affordability and variety of healthy foods. Moreover, physical infrastructure carried out for recreational activities and sports as well as local capacity in order to organize sports and recreational programs also contributes to type 2 diabetes. The barriers are exacerbated by the socio-economic disadvantage (Leung, 2016). The remote and rural communities usually lack access to the wide variety of services of health as well as health information that can impact the knowledge regarding diabetes as well as the quality of care for diabetes. Within the isolated communities, there is fewer capacity for nursing as well as electronic health records has the ability to lead to a disorganized and reactive initiative to the care of diabetes for most of the people of Aboriginal communities. Various literatures have suggested that in spite of the availability of the guidelines of clinical practice as well as progress in offering programs that are appropriate culturally and integrated diabetes care in some of the people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The Indigenous Australians Health Policy or IAHP is a particular evidence-based strategy utilized for funding standard quality healthcare and deliver culturally suitable initiatives for Aboriginal people in improving their health condition (Health gov, 2022). The National Diabetes Strategy of Australia introduced in the year 2016 has also been undertaken for preventing individuals in the development of type 2 diabetes condition and minimizing the disorders impact for these two Indigenous groups. It has been identified that many of the Aboriginal people might not be getting the actual standards of nursing care as they are not aware about these effective interventions (Health, 2020). The gaps in managing diabetes as well as other care services comprise limited access with regards to receiving the screening which is based on diabetes and the associated complications, skilled health professionals, medications that are needed to manage type 2 diabetes as well as their complications and the proper health services which are appropriate culturally as well as the health information. The Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islander people who live in the urban centers might face different barriers set in accessing the services of health (Wylie & McConkey, 2018). The services of health might not notice the legal, economic and cultural diversities which exist between the Indigenous people or provide services that implement the strategies of pan-Indigenous which will meet the need of the Aboriginal people partially. The individual of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living in urban centers might face challenges in accessing health benefits which are non-insured and that might pose an important threat to slow type-2 diabetes illnesss the progression or managing diabetes effectively (Oster et al., 2014). Considering the poverty aspect, the barriers might obstruct access to the medications for type-2 diabetes or limit the choice of healthy foods, forcing people to choose one the option over another.

Conclusion

Analyzing the entire context, it has been found that along with the westernized lifestyle, there are many other factors that contribute to the poor health of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people. The geographical and many other obstacles to the care make a huge contribution to the greater rise of type 2 diabetes concerns that include cultural diversity, racial discrimination, stereotyping and others. Many of the people of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal communities living in remote and isolated communities face limited options. Their healthy living is not being encouraged and usually gets limited due to the lack of availability, affordability and variety of healthy foods. Therefore, their health promotion should be undertaken by healthcare settings In Australia and should participate in the program of National Diabetes Strategy to cooperate and coordinate with healthcare providers and enhance their health outcomes.