Looking beyond the individual-The importance of accessing health and cultural services for Indigenous women in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Autor: Lin JC; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada., Toombs E; Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Sanders C; Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Sinoway C; Elevate NWO, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Amirault M; Communities, Alliances & Networks, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada., Mushquash CJ; Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Barkman L; Elevate NWO, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Deschamps M; Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Young M; Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada., Gauvin H; Elevate NWO, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Benoit AC; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.; Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.; Department of Health and Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: PloS one [PLoS One] 2023 Mar 01; Vol. 18 (3), pp. e0282484. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 01 (Print Publication: 2023).
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282484
Abstrakt: Access to cultural activities and culturally relevant healthcare has always been significant for achieving holistic Indigenous health and continues to be a key factor in shaping the health journey of Indigenous individuals and communities. Previous research has indicated the importance of cultural practices and services in sustaining cultural identity for Indigenous peoples, which is a major influence on their wellbeing. This study marks the first phase in a project aimed at establishing an Indigenous healing program and uses a qualitative research approach to understand the health and cultural services that Indigenous women want and require in Thunder Bay, Ontario. During interviews, participants (n = 22) answered questions around their understandings of health and wellbeing, and how they are able to incorporate cultural practices into their circle of care. Thematic analysis was performed on interview transcripts, and 4 key themes were identified: 'independence and self-care', 'external barriers to accessing services', 'finding comfort in the familiar' and 'sense of community'. Together these themes illustrate how Indigenous women feel a strong sense of personal responsibility for maintaining their health despite the multiple environmental factors that may act as barriers or supports. Furthermore, the necessity of embedding cultural practices into Indigenous women's circle of care is highlighted by the participants as they describe the mental, spiritual, social, and emotional health benefits of engaging in cultural activities within their community. The findings demonstrate the need for current modes of care to look beyond the individual and consider the impacts that socio-environmental factors have on Indigenous women. To accomplish this, we hope to increase access to health and cultural services through the creation of an Indigenous healing program that can be adequately incorporated into Indigenous women's circle of care if they wish to do so.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
(Copyright: © 2023 Lin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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