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
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
1 killed, 3 injured including toddler, after Hwy. 417 crash in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.