Sault College partners with York University and Garden River for diabetes prevention

Sault College has partnered with York University and the Garden River First Nation to deliver a pre-diabetes detection and physical activity delivery program called PRE-PAID.

 Funded by the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, PRE-PAID targets groups at high risk for diabetes and uses a community-based approach to engage them in physical activity.

The York University program has been operational since November 2009 in several diverse ethnic neighbourhoods in the Toronto area.

“The PRE-PAID team is very excited to partner with Sault College for this important initiative,” said Chip Rowan, researcher and certified exercise physiologist at York University. 

“Through this partnership, we hope to extend our program to a community that has a well documented risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Through the provision of free screening and targeting individuals with pre-diabetes, we hope that our physical activity intervention program will prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes for as many people as possible.”

The incidence of diabetes in Canada is alarming, said Canadian Diabetes Association regional branch co-ordinator Janie Bringleson. Nearly one in four Canadians either has diabetes or pre-diabetes and more than 20 people are diagnosed with the disease every hour. According to the Health Council of Canada, diabetes is much more common and growing more quickly among First Nations adults, who are two to eight times more likely to have diabetes than the average Canadian.

“Garden River is excited to engage in this new partnership with Sault College and York University,” said Andy Rickard, manager of recreation for the Garden River First Nation.

“This will not only be exciting for our community members, but also for those First Nation individuals within the surrounding communities. Statistics have shown that First Nations people are susceptible to diabetes and we hope that this project helps to establish the positive healthy changes that are needed.”

The Fitness and Health Promotion program at Sault College is seeking potential participants of First Nations descent including non-Garden River members and First Nations people of Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding areas.

During screening, interested participants will have blood glucose tests performed as well as a brief risk assessment. Participants who are eligible will participate in a free, six-month supervised physical activity intervention. All physical activity programs related to the initiative will take place at the Garden River First Nations Education/Recreation Centre.