Grant: Operating Grant - PA: First Nations, Inuit and Metis Health

Aboriginal people in Canada suffer higher rates of type 2 diabetes than other Canadians. Recently, the role of having diabetes while pregnant has been studied more and more. Moms that have diabetes while pregnant are more likely to have type 2 diabetes afterward. Even their babies have a greater risk of diabetes later in life. So, pregnancy may be a crucial time for good healthcare to ease the burden of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal people. The project aims to understand diabetes in pregnancy in Aboriginal women in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec. The rates of diabetes during pregnancy will be explored using provincial government data to determine the extent of the problem in Aboriginal women. Outcomes from these pregnancies will also be studied. In a second part, interviews will be done with Aboriginal women and communities to learn about their experiences with diabetes during pregnancy. Finally, strategies for helping women access proper pregnancy care will be developed with Aboriginal communities. Estimates of the problem of diabetes during pregnancy in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women will be provided. We will also understand how diabetes impacts Aboriginal women. This may help the system to better support and care for pregnant women. Better managing diabetes in pregnancy can lead to healthier newborns and less diabetes overall.