Grant: Team Grant: Pathways IRT - Component 2 -Obesity/Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes and obesity are 3-5 times more common among Indigenous children, compared to non-Indigenous children in Canada. The inequities in diabetes and obesity can be traced back to several forms of transgenerational stress and adversity that accompanies social determinants of health. Strengths-based, resilience, centred programs are therefore needed to overcome these inequities. With the support of Indigenous youth in Manitoba, we developed a peer-based mentoring program, centre on the Indigenous Circle of Courage model of resilience. We are currently delivering this program in 5 communities in Manitoba and plan to expand to 13 communities across 4 provinces in Canada. using a participatory action model, with a two-eyed seeing approach, we will work alongside community stakeholders to determine if the program remains effective we expanded to more communities and what the process of the expansion looks like. This will pave the way for a larger expansion to bring this program into the lives of more Indigenous children in Canada.