Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale (IRBV), Université de Montréal, Jardin Botanique de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada.
Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Guyane, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana, France.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2024 Sep 5;20(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s13002-024-00713-9.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the French overseas department of French Guiana, South America, nearly doubles that in its European counterpart, Metropolitan France. This region is demographically diverse and includes several populations of Indigenous Peoples. Although such populations are at particular risk of developing T2D across the Americas, very little is known about their health status in French Guiana, and accurate numbers of diabetic patients do not exist.
In light of a potential public health crisis, an ethnomedicinal study of diabetes experienced by Indigenous Parikweneh was conducted to provide better insight into the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to this quickly emerging disease in French Guiana. Altogether, 75 interviews were conducted with community members and Elders, as well as healthcare professionals and administrators providing services to the Parikweneh population of Macouria and Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock.
Interviews suggest a high incidence of T2D in this population, with cases that have risen quickly since the mid-twentieth century. Parikweneh participants linked the development of the illness to dietary changes, notably through the introduction of new and sweet foods. Recognizing the complexity of diabetes and its symptoms, diabetic patients highlighted the importance of biomedical treatments and follow-ups, though they frequently alternated or used them concomitantly with Parikweneh medicines. With the help of biomedical tools (i.e. glucometer), local medicinal practices mirrored biomedical approaches through dietary adaptation and the use of medicinal animals and plants for glycaemic control and the treatment of complications from the disease.
Parikweneh are appropriating T2D into their knowledge system and adapting their health system in response to this relatively new health concern. A greater understanding of local practices and perceptions relating to T2D among medical staff may therefore be beneficial for meeting patients' needs, providing greater autonomy in their health path, and improving treatment outcomes.
南美洲法属圭亚那海外省的 2 型糖尿病（T2D）患病率几乎是其法国本土大都市的两倍。该地区人口结构多样，包括几个原住民群体。尽管这些人群在整个美洲都面临着罹患 T2D 的特殊风险，但对于法属圭亚那的原住民健康状况却知之甚少，而且也没有确切的糖尿病患者人数。
鉴于可能出现公共卫生危机，对原住民 Parikweneh 的糖尿病进行了民族医学研究，以深入了解这一在法属圭亚那迅速出现的疾病的知识、态度和实践（KAP）。总共对来自 Macouria 和 Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock 的 Parikweneh 社区成员、长者、以及为 Parikweneh 人群提供服务的医疗保健专业人员和管理人员进行了 75 次访谈。
访谈表明，该人群的 T2D 发病率很高，自 20 世纪中叶以来，病例迅速增加。Parikweneh 参与者将这种疾病的发展与饮食变化联系起来，特别是通过引入新的和甜食。糖尿病患者认识到这种疾病的复杂性及其症状，强调了生物医学治疗和随访的重要性，尽管他们经常交替或同时使用生物医学药物和 Parikweneh 药物。借助生物医学工具（即血糖仪），当地的药物治疗实践通过饮食调整以及使用药用动植物来控制血糖和治疗疾病并发症，反映了生物医学方法。
Parikweneh 将 T2D 纳入他们的知识体系，并根据这一相对较新的健康问题调整他们的健康系统。因此，医疗保健人员更好地了解与 T2D 相关的当地实践和观念，可能有助于满足患者的需求，在他们的健康道路上提供更大的自主权，并改善治疗结果。
