Sri Lanka Tamil Migrants Diabetes Study
Canadian immigrants from Sri Lanka have higher rates of type 2 diabetes than other Canadians. In Ontario, they have the highest documented rates of type 2 diabetes compared to those from other South Asian countries (like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh).
Diabetes is a chronic and complex disease that is influenced by many factors, including social, economic, cultural and historic factors. We want to understand why this is happening. We want to understand how social factors, like moving to Canada from another country, might be related to these high rates of diabetes. Through interviews and qualitative analysis, we would like to explore the experiences of migration and developing diabetes among Tamil immigrants from Sri Lanka living in the Greater Toronto Area. A group of Tamil and non-Tamil researchers, students, community members and clinicians are leading this project.
Video submission for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada's 2020 Storytellers Contest
Upcoming Event
“Flavours of Tamil Health: Creating a Diabetes Cookbook”
You are warmly invited to an upcoming event presented by the South Asian Health Research Hub at McGill University and Tamil Association of Residents and Medical Students at the University of Toronto: “Flavours of Tamil Health: Creating a Diabetes Cookbook”
This event will explore the powerful role of applied, co-led research in driving meaningful community health outcomes.
Event Details:
Date: July 9th, 2025
Time: 12pm-1pm EST
Location: Online
Register here: https://lnkd.in/erS4wkC4
The session highlights how collaborative approaches—centering community voices—can shape practical and culturally resonant health interventions, like a diabetes-focused Tamil cookbook from a SSHRC-Funded research project examining how migration patterns escalate the risk of diabetes. It promises to be an inspiring discussion on how research and real-world impact come together.