Diabetes in Australia: Cultural Implications and Health Disparities

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of diabetes in Australia, examining current statistics, the disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, and the historical context of colonisation. It delves into the influence of social determinants of health, such as physical environment and healthy behavior, on diabetes development and progression. Furthermore, the essay highlights the cultural implications and obstacles faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in addressing diabetes, including limited access to healthcare, cultural beliefs, and socioeconomic factors. The analysis underscores the need for culturally sensitive interventions and policies to mitigate the burden of diabetes and improve health outcomes within these communities.

ESSAY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Discussion of diabetes.......................................................................................................1
Current Statistics in order to explain burden of diabetes...................................................1
History of colonisation impacted development of diabetes...............................................2
Impact of two social determinants of health on development and progression of diabetes
...........................................................................................................................................3
Cultural implications and obstacles to address diabetes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Australians...........................................................................................................3
References.........................................................................................................................5

Discussion of diabetes
Diabetes is a kind of health issue in which blood glucose or sugar level either
increase to too high or too low level. Glucose is one of the main source of energy that
comes from food and insulin helps the glucose to get into the cell from food. In simple
words diabetes is a health condition in which body's ability to process body glucose is
affected. There are mainly two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes
body does not make insulin. People with type 1 diabetes are completely insulin
dependent and due to this they need to take artificial insulin daily in order to stay alive
(Fenwick & et.al., 2018). In type 2 diabetes human body does not use insulin in a proper
manner. In this body does make insulin but body does not respond to it as effectively as
they used to do before diabetes. There are various factors that become one of the main
reason because of which diabetes occur. Factors such as over weight, family history of
diabetes, high blood pressure, increase age of the body and many more. Diabetes is
important to be controlled as extreme high or low diabetes can cause kidney damage,
heart disease and various other diseases. It has been observed that in both the type of
diabetes type 1 diabetes is quite dangerous as it requires regular dose of insulin. It has
been observed that type 1 diabetes is increasing continuously by 10 percent and type 2
diabetes is continuously increasing by 20 percent every year. There is not cure for
diabetes i.e. it is a life long process but it can be minimised to a certain level so that it
doesn't harm one's body.
Current Statistics in order to explain burden of diabetes
As per the current statistics, diabetes among Australian is increasing year by
year. Almost 1.8 million Australians are living with diabetes Out of which 1.3 million
people have been diagnosed and rest 0.5 million people have undiagnosed type 2
diabetes. In every 5 minutes someone id diagnosed with diabetes (Pouwer & Speight,
2016). Type 2 diabetes is quite common among Australian. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Australians are experiencing unexpectedly high level of diabetes. They are
three times more likely to suffer from diabetes as compared to non Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Australians (Craike & et.al., 2017). Not only this Aboriginal women
are two times more likely to develop gestational diabetes as compared to non Aboriginal
women. Even in children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian kinds are eight
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times more likely to develop diabetes as compared to non indigenous kids (Fenwick &
et.al., 2018). Mortality rate among Aboriginal Australians is quite high as compared to
non Aboriginal people. There are various factors due to which diabetes is increasing in
a much faster rate among aboriginal Australians as compared to non Aboriginal
Australians. One of the main factor is obesity among Aboriginal people (Zimmet & et.al.,
2016). It has also been observed that the level of high blood pressure is much more in
Torres Strait Islander Australian. Another reason due to which this difference occurs is
that Aboriginal people tend to smoke much more than other non Aboriginal people. Due
to these factors it was analysed that the main reason due to which this difference
among the increasing diabetes rate was observed was the overall lifestyle of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Australians is a lot different as compared to non Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Australian.
History of colonisation impacted development of diabetes
Aboriginal Australians were present much before colonisation as they were the
first citizens of Australia. The main diet of Aboriginal people was based on animals,
fishes etc. Colonisation impacted their lifestyle in many ways, and they experienced
disturbance within their economic as well as social circumstances (Nichols & et.al.,
2016). As a result their health status started to decline. Due to this colonisation
Aboriginal people were forced to abandon their traditional way of living and adopt
colonial way of living. Colonisation became a reason due to which Aboriginal people lost
their culture, lost their land, changed their eating habits and became much more violent.
This impacted Aboriginal people's diet and health as well because they were introduced
to sugar and more refined food. They started treating sugar as an important part of their
food which became one of the main and valuable reason for increasing level of diabetes
among Aboriginal people as compared to non Aboriginal people. This changing life style
shift from land food (animals and sea food) to refined food and increasing use of sugar
impacted on slow and study development of Diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people, Whereas non Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
were already known to refined food, sugar and their proper use (Sibthorpe & et.al.,
2018). Colonisation even improved that way of living and eating habits. This became
one of the main reason due to which increase diabetes level in non Aboriginal and
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Torres Strait Islander people is lower as compared to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Australians. In other words it can be said that colonisation impacted on
development of diabetes issue for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in a
much drastic manner.
Impact of two social determinants of health on development and
progression of diabetes
There are various social determinants of health that have impacted on
development as well as progression of diabetes. Social determinants plays a vital role in
development of any kind of health issue. There are two main social determinants that
affect the overall health of an individual and are the main reason of development of
diabetes among people. Two main social determinants are: first is physical environment
and second is healthy behaviour. According to a survey physical environment impact
the development of diabetes among people and increases its risk as well. According to
a research positive physical environment lowers the risk of development and
progression of diabetes by almost 25 percent (Crowshoe & et.al., 2018). However, a
congested and negative physical environment can become one of the main reason due
to which progression and development of diabetes can increase among people. It has
also been analysed that neighbourhood environment or the environment in which an
individual lives in affects diabetes development. Healthy working environment, safety
and security, healthy and positive community relationship also impacted the overall
development or progression of diabetes among individuals. It has also been observed
that healthy behaviour of people also impacts rise in diabetes in many ways (Zimmet,
2017). One of the main behaviour that impacts diabetes development is lifestyle
behaviour which includes sleep, daily food intake, stress, exercise etc. These factors
can directly impact progression of diabetes among people. Successful positive change
in behaviour can help in lowering or controlling diabetes whereas ignorance of these
factors can drastically increase diabetes among people in many ways (Crowshoe &
et.al., 2018). It has also been observed that ignorance of healthy behaviour can
increase changes of other health problems as well like high blood pressure or obesity
which can indirectly lead to development or progression of diabetes among people.
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Cultural implications and obstacles to address diabetes for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Australians
Cultural implications create various obstacles among the lifestyle0 of people. It
has been observed that it is one of the fastest growing disease among Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Australians. Cultural implication of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people increase chances of diabetes and various other diseases as well such
as high risk of heart attack, kidney disease, eye disease and many more (Penrose &
et.al., 2018). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people do not believe in taking health
professional; health due to which diabetes among them is growing at faster rate.
Moreover, more than fifty percent of Aboriginal people have poor access to health
related services. It is one of the main obstacle that is faced by those people in
addressing diabetes. Most of the Aboriginal people do not have much knowledge about
diabetes or it can be said that education level among such people is quite low. It is
becoming one of the main obstacle management of diabetes due to which it is
increasing among these people (Bailie & et.al., 2017). They also treat sugar as one of
the main and important part of their lifestyle and has made sugar a part of their culture.
It is another big obstacle due to which it is becoming difficult to address diabetes among
these people and it is constantly increasing among Aboriginal people. Poverty is
another reason which is an obstacle in addressing diabetes as management of diabetes
require both qualitative and quantitative food, good and positive living environment.
More than fifty percent of Aboriginal people live below poverty line and as a result
diabetes among them is increasing. Cultural difference among Aboriginal and non
aboriginal people resulted in poor communication among them. Due to which
information of health related programs does not reach them in a proper manner, which
results in poor management of diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people.
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References
Books and Journals
Bailie, J., & et.al., (2017). Improving preventive health care in Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander primary care settings. Globalization and health. 13(1). 48.
Craike, M. J., & et.al., (2017). Associations Between Physical Activity and Depressive
Symptoms by Weight Status Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Results From
Diabetes MILES–Australia. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 14(3). 195-
202.
Crowshoe, L. L., & et.al., (2018). Impacts of Educating for Equity workshop on
addressing social barriers of type 2 diabetes with indigenous patients. Journal
of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. 38(1). 49-59.
Fenwick, E. K., & et.al., (2018). What is the best measure for assessing diabetes
distress? A comparison of the Problem Areas in Diabetes and Diabetes Distress
Scale: results from Diabetes MILES–Australia. Journal of health
psychology. 23(5). 667-680.
Nichols, M., & et.al., (2016). Australian heart disease statistics 2015. Melbourne:
National Heart Foundation of Australia.
Penrose, L., & et.al., (2018). Process redesign of a surgical pathway improves access
to cataract surgery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in South
East Queensland. Australian journal of primary health. 24(2). 135-140.
Pouwer, F., & Speight, J. (2016). Elizabeth Holmes-Truscott* The Australian Centre for
Behavioural Research in Diabetes, Diabetes Australia-Victoria, Australia;
School of Psychology, Deakin University, Australia. Receptiveness and
Resistance: Perceptions of Insulin Use in Type 2 Diabetes, 96.
Sibthorpe, B., & et.al., (2018). Impacts of continuous quality improvement in Aboriginal
and Torres Strait islander primary health care in Australia: A scoping systematic
review. Journal of health organization and management. 32(4). 545-571.
Zimmet, P. Z. (2017). Diabetes and its drivers: the largest epidemic in human
history?. Clinical diabetes and endocrinology. 3(1). 1.
Zimmet, P., & et.al., (2016). Diabetes mellitus statistics on prevalence and mortality:
facts and fallacies. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 12(10). 616.
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