Grant: Planning Grants - PA: First Nations, Inuit or Métis Planning Activities

Despite a great deal of knowledge and evidence about how to prevent diabetes and efforts by the health care system to curb diabetes, the incidence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise worldwide. We know that management of body weight, diet, and exercise can help prevent disease and complications in type 2 diabetes. However, the statistics following sustained long-term health behavior change are discouraging. There is a clear need to investigate what works in health promotion to sustain healthy behavior change over the long term. This project seeks to explore dance and its accompanying benefits of music and artistic expression as a treatment and prevention option for diabetes and obesity and explore the effects of dance practice as potential mechanisms for long-term health behavior change. Building upon our current projects, affiliations and working relationships, we are keen to develop projects on several fronts: with older adults; with children; and with several First Nations communities. This project will help build knowledge of the role of dance interventions in impacting health outcomes.