Using community-based participatory research methods to build the foundation for an equitable integrated health data system within a Canadian urban context.

Health inequalities amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected racialized and equity-deserving communities across Canada. In the Municipality of Peel, existing data, while limited, illustrates that individuals from racialized and equity-deserving communities continue to suffer, receive delayed care, and die prematurely. In response to these troubling statistics, grassroots community advocacy has called on health systems leaders in Peel to work with community and non-profit organizations to address the critical data and infrastructure gaps that hinder addressing the social determinants of health in the region. To support these advocacy efforts, we used a community-based participatory research approach to understand how we might build a data collection ecosystem across sectors, alongside community residents and service providers, to accurately capture the data about the social determinants of health. This approach involved developing a community engagement council, defining the problem with the community, mapping what data is actively collected and what is excluded, and understanding experiences of sociodemographic data collection from community members and service providers. Guided by community voices, our study focused on sociodemographic data collection in the primary care context and identified which service providers use and collect these data, how data are used in their work, the facilitators and barriers to data use and collection. Additionally, we gained insight into how sociodemographic data collection could be respectful, safe, and properly governed from the perspectives of community members. From this study, we identify a set of eight recommendations for sociodemographic data collection and highlight limitations. This foundational community-based work will inform future research in establishing data governance in partnership with diverse and equity-deserving communities.

"I Am the Last Priority": Factors Influencing Diabetes Management Among South Asian Caregivers in Peel Region, Ontario.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to identify sociocultural and systemic factors influencing diabetes management among South Asian (SA) caregivers in Peel Region, Ontario. METHODS: Twenty-one semistructured interviews were conducted with SA caregivers using a qualitative descriptive design. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and intersectionality analysis. RESULTS: Themes identified included 1) prioritizing family caregiving over diabetes self-management; 2) labour market impacts on diabetes self-management; and 3) challenges navigating Canadian health and social service systems. SA caregivers described social, economic, and systemic challenges impacting type 2 diabetes management. Systemic factors influencing diabetes management included discrimination and inequities in labour policies and lack of social and health resources funding. Recommendations by caregivers included whole-family, community-based, culturally tailored approaches to diabetes prevention and management strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Providing support with system navigation, encouraging family-based approaches, and addressing the social determinants of health could be beneficial for supporting SA families with diabetes management and prevention.

Service Provider Perspectives on Exploring Social Determinants of Health Impacting Type 2 Diabetes Management for South Asian Adults in Peel Region, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Individuals from South Asian communities are known to have a higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is often attributed to individual lifestyle and behavioural factors. This focus on individual responsibility can position communities as complicit in their illness, compounding stigmatization and systemic discrimination. In this article, we explore the social determinants of health (SDOH) that influence health behaviours among South Asian adults with T2D from a service provider's perspective. METHODS: Using a qualitative descriptive design, we conducted semistructured interviews with 12 community, social and health-care service providers. We used thematic analysis and the analytical concept of intersectionality to explore how different social locations and SDOH impact T2D management for South Asian adults. RESULTS: Three themes were identified: 1) managing challenges with settlement process, labour policies and job market disparities take priority over T2D management; 2) poor working conditions and low socioeconomic status reduce access to health care and medication; and 3) there are social, economic and cultural barriers to implementing diet and exercise recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Service providers identified social, economic and systemic factors as influencing the higher prevalence of T2D among South Asian individuals. They also identified their important roles in providing culturally appropriate supports to address SDOH and described advocacy for changes to policies and practices that reinforce systemic racism. The providers further suggested that more equitable employment policies and practices are needed to address the systemic factors that contribute to the higher risk of T2D among South Asian adults in the Peel Region.