Lombard Kevin A, Forster-Cox Susan, Smeal Dan, O'Neill Mick K
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.
Rural Remote Health. 2006 Oct-Dec;6(4):640. Epub 2006 Oct 16.
Diabetes has emerged as a serious health problem in the Navajo nation, the largest Indigenous tribe in the US. Persons with diabetes are at greater risk for developing other diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Navajos with diabetes almost certainly face a diminished quality of life if their diabetes is not managed properly. Aside from genetics, the incidence of diabetes is highly correlated with income, poor diet, and limited physical exercise. A review of the literature also implicates dietary shifts initiated by historical events and contemporary trends. Numerous studies have shown that moderate consumption of fruits and vegetables, combined with exercise, reduces the risk of or delays the onset of many diseases including diabetes. As part of a larger holistic approach, home and community garden projects have successfully addressed nutrition and food security issues on a grassroots scale. The Navajos have a tradition of farming and therefore expanding Navajo diabetes interventions to include the promotion of community and home gardens provides multiple opportunities. The benefits of these actions include: (i) a variety of nutritious food grown locally; (ii) physical activity attained through the act of daily gardening tasks; (iii) positive income garnered in terms of savings in food otherwise purchased at stores and excess produce canned, or if desired, sold at a farmer's market or trading post; and (iv) positive mental outlook through a combined sense of accomplishment at harvest time, bonding with the earth, and spiritual growth. The objectives of this article were to review the development of diabetes on the Navajo nation though historical and contemporary literature, to provide insight into the role of diet and exercise in the progression of the disease, and to offer cases and suggestions in the role that home and community gardening can play in diabetes reduction. A concluding discussion proposes a multidisciplinary approach to tackling diabetes on the Navajo nation involving public health officials, nutritionists, and horticultural extension agents that could also be applied internationally in similar multicultural, semi-arid climates.
糖尿病已成为美国最大的原住民部落纳瓦霍族中一个严重的健康问题。糖尿病患者患其他疾病（如心血管疾病）的风险更高。如果糖尿病得不到妥善管理，纳瓦霍族糖尿病患者的生活质量几乎肯定会下降。除了遗传因素外，糖尿病的发病率与收入、不良饮食和体育锻炼有限高度相关。对文献的回顾还表明，历史事件和当代趋势引发的饮食变化也有影响。大量研究表明，适度食用水果和蔬菜并结合运动，可以降低包括糖尿病在内的许多疾病的风险或延缓其发病。作为更广泛整体方法的一部分，家庭和社区花园项目已在基层成功解决了营养和粮食安全问题。纳瓦霍族有农耕传统，因此将纳瓦霍族糖尿病干预措施扩大到包括推广社区和家庭花园提供了多种机会。这些行动的好处包括：（i）当地种植的各种营养丰富的食物；（ii）通过日常园艺工作获得体育锻炼；（iii）在节省原本在商店购买的食物以及将多余农产品罐装方面获得的实际收入，如果愿意，还可以在农贸市场或贸易站出售；（iv）通过收获时的成就感、与土地的联系以及精神成长相结合而产生的积极心态。本文的目的是通过历史和当代文献回顾纳瓦霍族糖尿病的发展情况，深入了解饮食和运动在该疾病进展中的作用，并提供家庭和社区园艺在减少糖尿病方面可以发挥的作用的案例和建议。最后的讨论提出了一种多学科方法来应对纳瓦霍族的糖尿病问题，涉及公共卫生官员、营养学家和园艺推广人员，这种方法也可在国际上类似的多元文化、半干旱气候地区应用。
