Co-designing Enhanced Models of Care for First Nations Children at Risk for Childhood-onset Type 2 Diabetes

Co-designing Enhanced Models of Care for First Nations Children at Risk for Childhood-onset Type 2 Diabetes: The Next Generation Birth Cohort.

The overall objective: to co-design and implement targeted and timely community led strategies to improve the health of the Next Generation and end the intergenerational impact of T2D in this population.

Guided by gaps in knowledge and care identified by participant advisors, community, and First Nations leadership, the investigators have developed a multifaceted and multidisciplinary research program which leverages the existing NextGen Cohort to enhance metabolic screening and evaluate novel intervention strategies. With First Nations partners the investigators will 1) Co-develop a perinatal support program led by a community-based navigator to support maternal and early childhood nutrition and activity, including breastfeeding supports, aimed at diabetes prevention, 2) Implement community-based early childhood screening for evidence of dysglycemia, and 3) Co-develop and implement a community led land-based program for children ages 4-5 years and their caregivers to encourage and educate about the benefits of traditional nutrition and activities to maintain wellness. In partnership with the Four Arrows Regional Health Authority (FARHA) and its four governing Anisininew First Nations in Manitoba, this program of research will address the lifecycle of intergenerational T2D by implementation of pre and post-natal/early childhood interventions in a population with the highest rates of childhood-onset T2D observed in the world.

Inclusion Criteria for the breastfeeding program:

• Pregnant women with type 2 diabetes or no diabetes.
• From self-identified Indigenous heritage (e.g., Cree, Oji-Cree, Métis, Anishinaabe, etc.) residing in the four Anisininew communities in the Island Lake region.
• Are delivering in Manitoba.
• Mother/Father and children must be biological family members.

Exclusion Criteria from the breastfeeding program:

• Parents or children with type 1 diabetes.
• Residing outside of Manitoba.

Inclusion criteria for the CGM pro