A number of students from eight primary and secondary schools gathered at the National Public Library yesterday for the third annual World Diabetes Day Youth Expo, an interactive event aimed at educating young people about diabetes prevention and management.
The expo, organized by the Antigua and Barbuda Diabetes Association (ABDA) in partnership with the Pediatrics Department of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center, featured three main interactive stations covering nutrition, diabetes education, and physical activity.
The President of ABDA, Charity Dublin, explained that students from four primary schools and four secondary schools rotated through the stations in groups, with each session lasting approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
“What we’re trying to do is give them a very hands-on experience as it relates to not only diabetes management, but also prevention, because we acknowledge that our young children grow up into adults. And if we set that healthy foundation now, we will eventually have a healthier, more productive population,” Dublin said.
The expo specifically targeted students in grades four and five from primary schools and form three students from secondary schools, age groups where diabetes risk factors are becoming increasingly prevalent.
According to Dublin, the earlier onset of Type 2 diabetes in younger populations is linked to sedentary lifestyles and a lack of regular physical activity among children.
“What we’re seeing now is an earlier onset of the condition. There are certain risk factors that are affecting our children, such as a sedentary lifestyle. They’re not moving. They’re not playing and running. It’s not built into the curriculum,” she noted.
Dr Saleem Hughes, head of the Pediatrics Department at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center, emphasized the educational objectives of the initiative.
“The primary objective of this initiative is to educate the next generation about diabetes, its causes, its different forms, and its impact on health. We aim to ensure that students clearly understand the distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes,” Dr Hughes said.
She stressed the importance of eliminating stigma surrounding diabetes in schools, particularly for children living with Type 1 diabetes.
“It’s important for them to recognize that Type 1 diabetes is not preventable and that children living with this condition should never be stigmatized or ridiculed in school. They should also know how to offer appropriate support to peers who may need assistance,” Dr Hughes explained.
At the nutrition station, staffed by nutritionists and dietitians from the Ministry of Health and the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center’s dietary department, students learned about “Go Foods, Grow Foods, and Glow Foods.”
Go Foods are carbohydrate-containing foods that provide energy, such as fruits, oats, potatoes and rice. Grow Foods are protein-containing foods like dried peas, beans, eggs, chicken and fish that aid in muscle building and repair. Glow Foods include fruits and vegetables that contain vitamins and minerals essential for optimal body function.
Dublin emphasized the importance of promoting local produce, noting that many children immediately think of imported fruits like strawberries and blueberries when discussing healthy eating.
“We want them to have the papaya and the pineapple and the bananas and the melons,” she said.
The diabetes education station, hosted by the Pediatrics Department of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center, provided students with medical background information about diabetes, its different types, and the importance of awareness and support for peers living with the condition.
At the physical activity station, students participated in interactive exercises led by a personal trainer, emphasizing the importance of movement for children’s health.
“Children were made to move. They weren’t made to sit down and be nice and quiet. And I think we have lost a lot of that as the years have progressed,” Dublin observed.
This year’s expo aligned with the World Diabetes Day theme of “diabetes and the workplace,” with organizers considering schools as students’ primary workplace.
Dublin explained that the expo aims to encourage schools and communities to create environments that support healthier lifestyles, including access to regular physical activity in the curriculum, healthier school feeding programs, reduced availability of sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks, and appropriate mental health support.
The event was made possible through partnerships with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Public Library, the Ministry of Education, the National School Meals Program, the Medical Benefits Scheme, and the Ministry of Health.
Dr Hughes concluded by noting that today’s students are “health heroes in training,” adding that “the future health and prosperity of our nation will one day rest in their hands.”
