According to Statistics Canada (2010), 12,795 youth aged 12-19 years of age were diagnosed with diabetes in Canada in the year 2010. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of youth in high-risk populations are being diagnosed (Canadian Diabetes Association, 2011). The high-risk population focused on in this proposal is Aboriginal youth ages 12-19. There is limited evidence that shows interventions have been specifically tested or formulated for the prevention of childhood diabetes in northern Aboriginal reserves. There is also not a sufficient amount of research on Aboriginal youth and the development of diabetes as there is for North American youth as a whole in relation to diabetes. Although type 2 diabetes is a major contributor of morbidity and mortality among Native populations, few diabetes prevention clinical trials were reported in the research literature.
             The overall purpose of this study is to examine type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal youth aged 12-19 years of age in a rural northern community and to evaluate the clinical trials previously tested. This study has been chosen to raise awareness for health care professionals in high-risk northern communities to review the best prevention of complications with type 2 diabetes. This study will apply to nursing research as community nurses working in the northern reserves are continually faced with young children diagnosed with diabetes. Although there have been preventable interventions formulated, research shows that the Aboriginal rates of childhood diabetes are remaining a continual increase. The type of treatment required for youth among the northern reserves will differ from the treatment required for youth in urban communities, due to the lack of resources in their communities.
             In Aboriginal youth aged 12-19 years of age who live on northern reserves, how does a culturally appropriate diabetic prevention program (diet and exercise) com...