Child & Youth Diabetes Strategy

Not in My Children: Type 2 diabetes prevention from preconception in Thorncliffe Park

Michael Garron Hospital Foundation

Focus: Prevention, periconception awareness and screening, childhood obesity

Target Population: High-risk women of child-bearing age and their children, primary care

Reach: Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood, Toronto

Grant:  $253,500

Project Goal

To prevent type 2 diabetes in children in Thorncliffe Park through community-based cprogramming to reduce periconception exposure to high blood glucose and to reduce childhood obesity.

Project Overview

This community-based diabetes prevention project aims to “connect the dots” in primary care related to preconception screening for diabetes and childhood obesity, two modifiable risk factors for transgenerational diabetes. This Michael Garron Hospital Foundation project targets high-risk women of child-bearing age and children in Thorncliffe Park, a rapidly growing, multicultural community with a large number of recent immigrants and a high prevalence of diabetes. Thorncliffe Park does not have its own community health centre and so must work with the patchwork of primary care/walk-in clinics and make connections through community gathering places like libraries and early years centres. The two-pronged project will provide outreach and education to raise awareness among primary care practices and connect them to resources, as well as provide accessible after-school programs for parents and for children. The project will implement and evaluate the “Healthy Mom-Healthy Child” Passport to promote preconception glycemia testing. Increases in awareness of the importance of preconception care and healthy family lifestyles are the main indicators to assess and guide the project.