Wednesday 11th July, 2018
Today we provide an update on two upcoming events – our Chronic Disease Self-Management Course and our Fibroids Self-Care Webinar Series. We also talk briefly about changes to our podcast schedule.
We love attending health conferences. They’re a great opportunity to discover the latest advances in the field, learn something new and meet interesting people. Since moving to St Kitts about 10 months ago we haven’t had the opportunity to attend any conferences and so when we learnt that the 63rd Annual CARPHA Health Research Conference was going to be held right here in St Kitts, we jumped at the opportunity and registered immediately and started counting down the days until conference day. In today’s blog we’re going to share some of the highlights of the conference from our point of view, but first, you may be asking: who or what is CARPHA?
CARPHA stands for the Caribbean Public Health Agency and they are the only regional public health agency in the Caribbean. They provide strategic direction in analysing, defining and responding to the public health priorities set out by CARICOM in order to prevent disease, promote health and respond to threats to the public’s health and emergencies. Their programme of work falls in the following categories
Every year CARPHA hosts their health research conference which provides Caribbean researchers, at every level, with the opportunity to showcase their work and disseminate their research findings. This provides the perfect environment to determine how cutting-edge research can contribute to the development of effective evidence-based policies, programmes and practices to tackle the Caribbean’s health challenges.
This year’s conference was the 63rd conference, making this event the longest running health research conference in the English-speaking Caribbean and it brought together policymakers, researchers, health professionals and public health officials from the Caribbean, Latin America, North America and Europe.
The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Sustainable Health Systems for Economic Growth, Development and Wealth.’ The aim of the conference was to provide an opportunity to raise awareness of Caribbean research that can provide the evidence and information to create stronger health systems in the region.
The conference was a three-day event, packed full of presentations, concurrent sessions, panel discussions, feature lectures, poster presentations and an exhibition, giving attendees an engaging, informative and diverse experience.
The conference on a whole was excellent, there was something for everyone, but for us certain presentations and pieces of work, really stood out for us. These included:
Assessing the impact of the Barbados Sugar Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax on Grocery Store Beverage Sales – with many countries around the globe introducing a sugar tax it was interesting to hear about the experience in the Caribbean. This presentation summarised the findings, so far, from the introduction of a 10% tax on SSBs in Barbados in August 2015. It was promising to hear that following the tax there was an increase in water purchases, a 4.3% reduction in SSB purchases and a 5.2% increase in the purchase of non-sweetened drinks. It was interesting to note that the decline in SSB purchases was in expensive drinks and there was evidence that consumers were switching to cheaper SSBs.
Diabetes Distress and Diabetes Self-Care in Barbados – this presentation was insightful as we had never come across the term diabetes distress, which refers to the emotional impact of diabetes where patients may experience fear, frustration and guilt. It was interesting learning about this and how promoting self-care and self-management may address this issue.
Obesity and Weight Misperception Among Adults in Eastern Caribbean– this was a very well-presented and engaging talk that explored the extent to which people misunderstand their weight. Researchers found that in their study weight misperception was very common with the majority of people under estimating their actual weight. This is a problem because it means that people who are overweight or obese don’t realise it, and if people don’t realise they have a problem with their weight they won’t take steps to address this. This leads to people remaining at risk of a number of health issues when they needn’t be. You can find out more about this study here.
Our Voices: Women’s Perspectives on Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment in the English-speaking Windward Islands – this presentation really struck a chord with us as we conducted a similar piece of work exploring black British women’s beliefs about breast cancer and their help seeking behaviour. It was interesting to hear that their findings were very similar to what we found around fear, fatalism and stigma
Finally other highlights for us were, being new to the Caribbean, it was just wonderful meeting people, exploring the important health issues in the Caribbean (e.g. NCDs and mosquito borne diseases) and learning about interesting projects like ECHORN, the new Caribbean Cancer Registry Hub and The Seth Fund, as well as innovative methods of care like that being delivered by the Caribbean Cancer Centre Network – a partnered care hub and spoke model.
This was three days well-spent and a great introduction into the research being conducted in the Caribbean. We highly recommend this conference to anyone in the Public Health field and we look forward to next year’s conference. Every year the conference is hosted on a different Caribbean island, and we’re also looking forward to the announcement of which of the beautiful islands will host the conference next year.
To find out more about this year’s conference you can visit the conference website here and you can learn more about CARPHA here
Wednesday 4th July 2018
Today’s episode is the final episode in our childhood obesity series and our volunteers Vikell and Marecia discuss the solutions to childhood obesity.
Lake Health and Wellbeing in collaboration with the Department for Gender Affairs in St Kitts are aiming to provide support to men in St Kitts with chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and lung disease. This support will be delivered through a free 6-week self-management course, starting on 2nd October, that will provide men with the information, skills and knowledge to live well with their health condition.
Our project will focus on men, to ensure that men in St Kitts who suffer from a chronic disease receive the support that they need as research suggests that men are less likely to access health services.
The course being utilised for this project is the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP). This is an evidence-based prevention and health promotion program that addresses common issues faced by people with chronic conditions. The program will provide patients with information on appropriate exercise, diet, managing symptoms, medication usage, dealing with side effects and improving communication with healthcare providers, friends and family. Classes will be held at the National ICT Centre on the Bay Road and will be facilitated by trainers certified by the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program.
The program has been implemented in 19 countries around the globe showing a number of benefits including:
If you or anyone you know is living with a chronic disease or caring for someone with a chronic disease then this course may be of interest to you.
For more information and to register, please visit Eventbrite, email events@lakehealthandwellbeing.com or call 668 1518.
Want to be kept up-to-date on events like this? Then please subscribe to our newsletter here.
Wednesday 27th June, 2018
Our volunteers are back with another episode in their childhood obesity series. Today, is a quick podcast with Marecia, Eurecia, Jorecia, Chris and Vikell sharing how they stay healthy. In this episode they provide some great insight on easy ways to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They’re on a mission to make the Caribbean a healthy place.
Welcome back to the Lake Health and Wellbeing podcast. In today’s episode our volunteers from the St Kitts Department of Youth Empowerment’s Volunteer Corp are back with the second episode in their childhood obesity series.
In today’s episode Marecia, Eurecia, Jorecia, Chris and Vikell have an interesting and lively discussion on the causes of childhood obesity. In this episode they cover:
You can get involved in this discussion by leaving a comment or question in the comments section below or emailing us your thoughts on this subject.
You can also support this project by signing the Healthy Caribbean Coalition’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Petition here
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Podcast Music:
“Too Cool” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Wednesday 13th June, 2018
In today’s episode our volunteers provide a brief introduction to give you a taste of what to expect from their childhood obesity podcast series. They touch on causes and solutions, and discuss the HCC’s childhood obesity prevention petition.
Wednesday 6th June, 2018
We share how we went from being demotivated to being motivated again, and all it took was us getting out into the community to remind us why we do what we do.
We’re so happy to announce that our June Fibroids Twitter Chat will be with Angèle Mbarga on 21st June 2018 at 6:30pm CEST (that’s 5:30pm GMT, or 12:30pm AST).
Angèle Mbarga is the Founder of Fibrome Info France which she established in 2011 to provide a place of healing dedicated to women suffering from fibroids. Angèle’s personal experience with fibroids motivated her to start Fibrome Info France to fill the gaps in support that she noticed when she was first diagnosed.
Through their support groups, Fibrome Info France supports over 1500 women every year, they assess women’s personal circumstances and then match them with a relevant support plan. In addition to providing support to women, they raise awareness, provide information on the complications of fibroids and are working towards improving the care that women receive.
They released an awareness video in 2012, in 2013 they published an information leaflet in collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Rights and the Regional Council of Ile-de-France and in 2014 they worked with doctors to create an information and supportive guide for patients.
Fibrome Info France is making a significant difference in France and you can learn more about their work in our upcoming #FibroidsChat. To take part in the conversation find us on Twitter on 21st June at 6:30pm (French time) and use the hashtag #FibroidsChat.
You can find out more about Fibrome Info France here: http://fibrome-info-france.org/
Today we’re delighted to have a guest blog post by Constance Ray, the founder of Recovery Well, on getting back on track after substance abuse relapse.
Contance Ray started Recoverywell.org with the goal of creating a safe place for people to share how addiction has affected them, whether they are combating it themselves or watching someone they care about work to overcome it. The goal is to share stories of hope from survivors who know that the fight against addiction is one worth having, because no matter how it affects you, life can get better.
Many people understand the battle against substance abuse; for millions of people, drugs and alcohol play a big role in relieving stress, anxiety, and the symptoms of depression, but unfortunately, substances only contribute to the problem–or exacerbate it. Because using drugs or alcohol to cope only numbs the issue and doesn’t get rid of it, many individuals find that after making the decision to live a sober lifestyle, they are unable to deal with their feelings in a healthy way, which leads to a relapse. This can in turn lead to guilt, shame, and even thoughts of suicide.
That’s why it’s so important to learn how to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression in ways that will make you feel strong and empowered. Having the support of your friends and/or family will go a long way, as will working to get your body healthy. This will allow you to see that even after a relapse, you have the power to turn things around for good.
Keep reading for some great tips on how to get healthy after suffering a relapse.
One of the biggest keys to living a sober life is realizing that you can’t get there on your own. It’s imperative that you seek professional help so that you can address any physical or mental health issues that may be underlying. Starting at the root of the problem will help you find success much more easily when it comes to staying sober.
True recovery is impossible without the ability to forgive yourself for past mistakes. Understanding that all humans have inner struggles–and deal with them in different ways–will help you come to a place where you can love yourself, and therefore heal. Consider practicing yoga and/or meditation, which will incorporate mindfulness into your day. Learning to focus your mental energies on positive things rather than worry or stress will help immensely when it comes to your recovery.
It’s important to have a plan in place when it comes to your sobriety. Creating a step-by-step plan–as well as a routine to get there–will help you stay on track and find daily motivation for sobriety. For instance, you might set some small goals, such as working out every day or eating healthfully, and create a routine to make that happen. Having a plan in place will allow you to feel in control, which is important to many individuals in recovery.
Having a hobby can be hugely beneficial to those in recovery. Not only is it good for your mental health, it can help you get active, stay social, and will provide structure to your day. For many people who have battled substance abuse, the ability to know what comes next is important. Think about your interests and look online for activities that you’ll enjoy. Gardening, playing a sport, making art, and rock climbing are all great ideas. For more on how staying active can help your recovery, click here.
It’s common for individuals in recovery to have trouble staying social, especially after suffering a relapse. There may be feelings of guilt or shame involved, or you may be worried that your friends and loved ones are judging you. But having a connection with other people can be a big help for your sobriety, and it will give you a circle of support when things get tough. Make an effort to stay connected to your loved ones, even if it’s only through text messages.
