Thursday 18 December 2003
Community diabetes study involves 15,000 Maori
A new government funded strategy to prevent diabetes will also tackle obesity and heart disease, particularly amongst
Maori.
Announced today, the Community-based Diabetes Intervention study will target 15,000 Waikato Maori with a high risk of
developing Type-2 diabetes. Maori and Pacific peoples are three times more likely to develop Type-2 diabetes than
Europeans.
If the project is effective, it may be implemented in other communities around New Zealand.
The project is jointly funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) and the Ministry of Health, and
includes substantial support from the Waikato and Lakes District Health Boards. The value of the three-year study is
$4.26 million.
The study involves communities initiating diabetes intervention and partnering with academics to conduct research. The
project will deliver ‘healthy eating healthy action’ messages to high-risk individuals.
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and early death. The disease causes up to 1200
deaths a year in New Zealand.
Health Minister Annette King says diabetes is a condition that is increasing globally.
Indications are the prevalence of diabetes will increase significantly in the next 10 years.
"Type-2 diabetes is a largely preventable disease for which obesity and lack of physical activity are major risk
factors," says Ms King.
"The focus on Maori and Pacific people reinforces the Government's commitment to reducing inequalities and achieving
better health status for all New Zealanders."
The high degree of co-morbidity between diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease means the intervention strategies
will focus on reducing known risk factors for all three conditions. Participants in the project will receive combined
community development and personal coaching, contributing to dietary change and increased physical activity.
Professor David Simmons of the University of Auckland Waikato Clinical School is directing the research. British-born
and educated, Professor Simmons is a highly regarded internal medicine and diabetes specialist, who has undertaken
diabetes awareness campaigns in South Auckland and Australia.
Professor Simmons says the research team is excited about the potential to prevent the harm that diabetes causes across
communities.
“We know that increasing activity and improving diet to prevent diabetes is a complex and difficult task, “ he says,
“But we believe that our partnership between the community and health and education organisations is well positioned to
provide lifestyle changes for other New Zealand communities. “
HRC Chief Executive Bruce Scoggins says the partnership is an excellent example of how health research provider
collaborations are contributing to primary disease prevention.
“One of the strengths of the research is the formation of strategic partnerships between the HRC, the Ministry of Health
and the DHBs,” says Dr Scoggins.
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