Dietary Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes in South Asian Populations-A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: South Asians face a high burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We systematically summarized current research on the efficacy, cultural relevance, and research gaps of nutrition interventions that could be used for treatment in this population. FINDINGS: We identified 18 articles published since 2010. Dietary pattern interventions have focused on low-glycemic index (GI) solutions and consistently reported improvement in glycemic management. Trials of nutrition education and counselling had diverse approaches, with those utilizing more intensive interventions generally eliciting better glycemic outcomes. Many studies developed interventions with cultural relevance by including traditional foods, providing materials in the local language, and acknowledging important food-related customs. These adaptations were seen in South Asian countries as well as Western countries hosting immigrants. Data from South Asian countries support low-GI and intensive counselling approaches for the treatment of T2D. Given the high prevalence of T2D in these populous countries, approaches that can reach large numbers of people are needed. In Western countries, more emphasis on providing culturally relevant nutrition therapy is needed.

Barriers and Mitigating Strategies to Healthcare Access in Indigenous Communities of Canada: A Narrative Review.

The objective of this review is to document contemporary barriers to accessing healthcare faced by Indigenous people of Canada and approaches taken to mitigate these concerns. A narrative review of the literature was conducted. Barriers to healthcare access and mitigating strategies were aligned into three categories: proximal, intermediate, and distal barriers. Proximal barriers include geography, education attainment, and negative bias among healthcare professionals resulting in a lack of or inadequate immediate care in Indigenous communities. Intermediate barriers comprise of employment and income inequities and health education systems that are not accessible to Indigenous people. Distal barriers include colonialism, racism and social exclusion, resulting in limited involvement of Indigenous people in policy making and planning to address community healthcare needs. Several mitigation strategies initiated across Canada to address the inequitable health concerns include allocation of financial support for infrastructure development in Indigenous communities, increases in Indigenous education and employment, development of culturally sensitive education and medical systems and involvement of Indigenous communities and elders in the policy-making system. Indigenous people in Canada face systemic/policy barriers to equitable healthcare access. Addressing these barriers by strengthening services and building capacity within communities while integrating input from Indigenous communities is essential to improve accessibility.