Indigenous Health Flashcards
The diversity of Aboriginal population, some stats:
- Aboriginal are 4,3% of the Canadian population
- 614 first nations communities (know in reserves)
- 49,3% lives in reserves, 25% metis lives in metropolitan, 73,1% of Inuits still live far North from the settlement.
Social Determinant of Health of Aboriginal and their health status:
- Socioeconomic status
- Education
- Employment
- Physical environment
Socioeconomic status:
- Low socioeconomic status for all Aboriginal (22000$ compare to 33000$)
- 50% of children lives in poverty.
Education:
- 33% have least than high-school level (compare to 13%)
- is an important marker for the ability to earn sufficient income.
- Effect of the residential school legacy on education levels.
Employment:
- related to education and socioeconomic status
- 65,8% compare to 81,6%
- Due to located in remote or rural areas, job opportunities are often scarce.
Physical environment:
- On-reserve housing is often surpar by Canadian standard
- 29% lived in homes that were in need of major repairs.
- Availability of essential utilities are not always available (electricity, heating, and indoor plumbing)
Impact of the unsafe physical environment on the health:
- High rates of mortality and morbidity from injury and trauma, chronic illness, depression and family violence.
- TB and respiratory diseases, transmission of which are exacerbated by crowded housing.
- Respiratory diseases amount aboriginal children are among the leading causes of hospitalization and death.
- Burn caused by fires, lack of adequate fire protection services.
Trauma and injury, whether accidental or intentional, related to physical environments and contribute to health issues is related to:
- Communities that practise a hunting and gathering culture may be prone to injuries related to their particular lifestyle (firearms, boats, ATVs, snowmobiles..)
- Alcohol contributing factor to death related to injury.
Personal health practices and coping skills contributing to health issues:
- Lifestyle illnesses caused by drugs and alcohol abuse (organ damage and FASD)
- Smoking (59%) (Majority started between 13-16)
- Obesity (around 25%), obesity among children and youth (ages 6-14) (around 20%) (related to diabetes between 17,2% and 7,3% compare to 5% for the general population)
Diabetes in aboriginal population:
- between 17,2% and 7,3% compared to 5% for the general population
- Mortality rates from diabetes for aboriginal women 5times higher than the national average.
- Diagnosed at younger age, increase rate among youth and children
- Rate of amputation, blindness, and kidney failure also higher.
Cancer is relatively uncommon in Aboriginal populations, has steadily been increasing and have certain issues related to:
- Cancer screening program generally low uptake
- Diagnosis is often at advance stages
- Remote location hamper cancer tx (typically takes place in larger urban centres)
Healthy child development is an important health indicators for aboriginal populations, because the birth rate are twice that of the general Canadian population. Serious concerns for Aboriginal communities are related to:
Lack of childcare
Lack of food security
Low immunization rates for children
Some aspect of the history that profoundly impact the aboriginal population:
-British North America Act (1867): specify that only the british gouverment could buy land or negociated treaties with Indians. (Which Aboriginal people entered the treaties with the understanding of sharing and not land cession)
-Indian Act (1876): to ensure that no one can buy land directly to Indian.
BOTH RESULT IN pushing first nations to lived in “RESERVES”
-Residential school: Federal government decision because it would be cheaper and to assimilated the indian children into white society. Children was legally required to be send otherwise, parents will be incarcerate. (through the process of education, religious and as well as cultural degradation)
Residential school conditions:
- Teaching to be ashamed of their heritage in order to facilitate the assimilation process.
- Physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
- Children often went hungry, report their parents bringing them food on their weekend visits to supplement their substandard diet. Children report being forced to steal food from the kitchens.
- Education was substandard, 40% of the teaching staff had no professional training.
- Physical and emotional abuse if children were speaking a traditional language, cutting their hair (strong cultural and spiritual implication), Imposing religions, intentionally separated parent visite from children.
Residential school impact on the Aboriginal communities:
Generational and intergenerational issues such as high rates of suicide, addictions, violence, and abuse. Impact of loss of parenting skills felt in three and starting to be felt in the fourth generation.
