Diabetes mellitus in the australian indigenous community

Abstract

This report aims to investigate the higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among Indigenous Australians, with recommendations to Australians Health Professionals in order to increase awareness of Indigenous health peculiarities related to diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetes has become one of the most common public health problems of the 21 st century. The proportion of Aborigines Australians developing T2D is 5 to 10 times greater than non-Aborigines. Although DM in Aboriginal community is multifactorial, this report shows three perceived causes: (i) obesity and the "Thrifty Gene Hypothesis", (ii) geographical position and (iii) smoking. It concluded that the combination of these causes have increased the incidence of DM among Indigenous Australians. Therefore, the following are recommended: improvement of genetic research, improvement of medical facilities, and increased employment of Indigenous Health Professionals and improvement of anti-smoking policies.

Proximate and phenolic composition of selected native Australian food plants

“…With the rise in noncommunicable diseases (Vos et al , ; de Abreu et al , ; AIHW, ), consumption of plant species such as C . alba , T .…”

“…Sedentary lifestyles and consumption of diets low in fruits and vegetables are some of the contributing factors to Australia’s obesity problem (Njume et al , ; Sevoyan et al , ). This partly explains why Indigenous Australians who are overweight or obese may be more likely to also have type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than the rest of the population (de Abreu, Walker, & Gilbert, ). The economic, health and social effects of overweight and obesity including increased risk of cardiovascular disorders and T2DM accompanied by reduction in quality of life are becoming increasingly disturbing.…”