Social Determinants of Indigenous Health: A Canadian Perspective

This report examines the various challenges and inequalities faced by Indigenous people in Canada that contribute to higher death rates within their communities. It focuses on an article by Lines and Jardine (2019) which explores the social determinants of health among Indigenous populations, particularly the connection to the land as identified by Indigenous youth. The research highlights political, social, and economic factors influencing Indigenous health, including high rates of type 2 diabetes and lower life expectancy compared to non-Indigenous communities. The study employs a community-based participatory approach, involving the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN) youth, to gather data through surveys, sharing circles, and field notes. Key findings reveal that limited education, food insecurity, and inadequate government policies contribute to health issues such as cardiovascular disease and infant mortality. The report concludes that addressing these social determinants through improved education, government intervention, and timely treatments is crucial for improving Indigenous health outcomes in Canada. Desklib offers a range of resources, including similar reports and solved assignments, for students studying public and global health.

RUNNING HEAD: INDIGENOUS STUDIES 0
ABORIGINAL PEOPLE

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Objective of Research......................................................................................................................2
Methodology and Findings..............................................................................................................2
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
Indigenous people in Canada face from various difficulties and inequalities this leads in
increasing the death rate of indigenous community in Canada (Lines & Jardine, 2019).
Therefore, in the present report this article “Connection to the land as a youth-identified social
determinant of Indigenous Peoples’ health” which is written by Lines, L. A., & Jardine in the
year 2019 is selected. In this article authors describes the reasons of health issues which are
faced by indigenous community in Canada.
Objective of Research
The indigenous health is influenced by various political, social and due to several other
factors, the estimation demonstrate that about 50% of the indigenous community suffered from
the type 2 diabetes in Canada. Therefore, it is also demonstrated that life expectancy of the
indigenous community is less in comparison to the non-indigenous community (Lines &
Jardine, 2019). Therefore, the women also suffered from high level of health issues which
increase the other dangerous diseases among the aboriginal community in Canada.
However, researchers also demonstrate Canada is very lower in effective management of
health for indigenous people and due to lack of the opportunities to educate the child about the
effects of dangerous diseases. The people will achieve the social determinants when it get all the
rights and maintain equality in distributing the education, food security and income among all
the people in the society. By considering all the points the researchers conducted the study to
examine the reasons of increase in health issues among aboriginal community in Canada (Lines
& Jardine, 2019). The study also focuses on providing the impact of this on the life of the
community; this study is selected because researchers estimated that not much of the research is
conducted to define reasons and factors which give rise to the health problems.
Methodology and Findings
The study is conducted by involving the “Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN)”
youth they have participated in the camp in this researchers adopted the survey method that is by
taking the perception of the respondents those who gets participated in the study. In providing

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the efficient findings of the study researchers also used “community based participatory
approach” it is because through this more participate gets involved in sharing the information as
well as describing the experiences which promote the social change (Lines & Jardine, 2019).
Researchers adopted this methodology it is because it becomes important to understand the
opinions and perceptions of the aboriginal community.
The study was conducted in the year 2016, by involving the youth in the research
activities the data collection is done through involving several techniques which includes sharing
circles, field notes etc. Researchers also conducted the short survey by developing the questions
so that their opinions regarding the major factors which reduce the motivations and leads in
increasing death rate of indigenous people (Lines & Jardine, 2019). In the study small sample
size is selected and analysis is done by adopting statistical techniques. Therefore, the survey was
done by using the “clicker polling equipments” and questions include various multiple choice
questions so that appropriate factor is selected according to the needs of the participants. The
unequal rights in getting the treatments, lack of land and property leads in raising the abuse
among the community , however estimation demonstrate that majority of the community
suffered from the depression, alcoholism and reduce the health situation of the indigenous
community (Lines & Jardine, 2019). There are also various others reason for increase in health
problems among the community
Critique about article
I perceive that findings of the study revealed that less education facilities leads in
reducing the awareness among the indigenous community in Canada about the affects of more
health problems. The researchers also demonstrate the food insecurity factor in which lack of
malnutrition increase the dangerous diseases, this result in increasing the death rate among
women and children from the indigenous community (Lines & Jardine, 2019). The other factors
include government regulations that are lack of policies in providing quality treatment to the
aboriginal community. The estimation describes that these factors affects the community in
negative manner it is because of rise in the cardiovascular disease, infant mortality and various
other disease (Lines & Jardine, 2019).

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I also believe that poverty can also one of the reason through which community face
environmental degradation, this also results in reducing the accessibility of the food to the
community according to their requirements. The rate of diabetes is 17.2% and smoking among
the adult is also increased, this is estimated that these factors raise health issues and influence in
highly negative manner (Lines & Jardine, 2019).
Conclusion
From the above it is estimated that health problems among the indigenous community is
increased in Canada. It is because of various reasons which include political, social, economic
and other factors this is affected due to loss of education facilities, less government intervention
and inefficiency in providing timely treatments to the community. This influences the health of
community negatively due to rise in cardiovascular disease, diabetes etc.

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References
Lines, L.-A., & Jardine, C. G. (2019). Connection to the land as a youth-identified social
determinant of Indigenous Peoples’ health. BMC public health , 19 (1), 176.