Interim: Team Number: 97
School: Santa Fe Indian School
Area of science: Health and Medicine
Project title: Diabetes within two pueblos

Problem Definition: In the pueblos of Santo Domingo and Ohkay Owingeh (formally known as San Juan Pueblo) diabetes has been affecting natives in various age groups. Pueblo people did not have diabetes until they were introduced to European foods. Now days our diets include lots of sugars and salts. There are a number of young people within our communities who have diabetes because of poor diet. Diabetes can also be passed down through hereditary genes. Elders as well have diabetes. Tribal members must take caution with their dietary needs. We need reduce the amount of native people getting diabetes.

Problem Solving: Using our Star-logo model we will determine how many tribal members have diabetes and how many are diagnosed with it everyday. One group of turtles will obtain diabetes through hereditary genes. Another group will get diabetes through poor diets. The last group will not be affected by diabetes. If there is something that one of the turtle groups does to help reduce the amount of them with diabetes. We can test and see how many turtles get diabetes.

Progress to date: So far we have contacted our local health centers to obtain statistics and the numbers of people with diabetes in our pueblos. They have not yet transferred the information to us. We plan to go pick them up as soon as possible. We have been testing out the star logo program and constructed our layout for what we plan to do.

End Results: We expect to find out the number of tribal members that will get diabetes if they continue to live with poor diets. Those who don’t take care of themselves are more likely to get diabetes especially if it runs in their families. We want to prove that if you take care of yourself then you are less vulnerable to getting diabetes. Using the turtles in the star logo model we will be able to prove that Native Americans are able to prevent diabetes and decrease the amount of those affected.

Team member: Juanito Aquino and Angela Pacheco

Sponsoring teacher: Kate Sallah

Santo Domingo Health Center
Ohkay Owingeh Health Center
http://vltakaliseji.tripod.com/Vtlakaliseji/id18.html
AARP Corportation

Team Members:

Juanito Aquino
Angela Pacheco

Sponsoring Teacher: Mary Neikirk

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