This research team found the number of Indigenous people in Sask. with IBD doubled over a 17-year period
A research study out of the University of Saskatchewan reveals the number of Indigenous people in the province living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has more than doubled from 1999 to 2016.
IBD is a chronic condition characterized by inflammation of the digestive tract — ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two main types.
A news release from the university says the number of Indigenous people with IBD has remained stable at an annual rate of about 11 cases per 100,000 population while the rate of new cases in the general population has been decreasing.
Dr. Juan-Nicolas Peña-Sánchez, co-principal investigator of the study, says he doesn't know the exact reason behind the rising numbers, however says there is a misconception that IBD is rare among Indigenous people.
Rhonda Sanderson is an Indigenous patient advocate and living with IBD herself agrees with this theory.
“I know with Indigenous people, we get frustrated with the healthcare system because of the barriers, because of the lack of information out there and studies like this help Indigenous people move forward in being diagnosed,” Sanderson told CTV News.
“It’s not until you reach a crisis point when you get really sick or require surgery, or you're hospitalized, then you get your answers but it’s a long process.”
She says she’s not surprised with the numbers doubling as with more education and awareness, more people are looking for answers and coming forward when symptoms arise.
“We are happy there is awareness because people were probably living with the disease but didn’t have access (to healthcare) ….so there is a change and that's what we are working for, ” Peña-Sánchez said.
Peña-Sánchez says there is still limited data when it comes to Indigenous people living with IBD in Canada and worldwide.
He says the limited data and misconceptions could influence health professionals’ decisions when providing care to Indigenous people presenting symptoms.
“It’s important for the education and information to be made available so that people do have stuff they can take forward and say ‘hey this is what I’m experiencing, and this is not as rare as you think it is, this is what I need’, we become our own advocates,” Sanderson said.
Evidence from the study is being used to advocate for better health care for Indigenous people with IBD. It also hopes to encourage Indigenous IBD patients, their families and health care professionals to promote culturally safe and innovative care for them, the news release said.
Peña-Sánchez says the next goal is to expand its research to other provinces to promote awareness and provide a strong understanding of IBD within Indigenous populations
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Early results from London, U.K., suggest Labour's Sadiq Khan will secure a record third term as mayor
Sadiq Khan, the Labour Party's mayor of London, appeared Saturday to be romping to victory as results from the capital pour in.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.