Abstract
Objective: To develop a community-specific perspective of health information sources and dissemination strategies of urban Inuit to better guide health promotion efforts.
Methods: Through a collaborative partnership with the Tungasuvvingat Inuit Family Resource Centre, a series of key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted to gather information on specific sources of health information, strategies of health information dissemination, and overall themes in health information processes.
Findings: Distinct patterns of health information sources and dissemination strategies emerged from the data. Major themes included: the importance of visual learning, community Elders, and cultural interpreters; community cohesion; and the Inuit and non- Inuit distinction. The core sources of health information are family members and sources from within the Inuit community. The principal dissemination strategy for health information was direct communication, either through one-on-one interactions or in groups.
Conclusion: This community-specific perspective of health information sources and dissemination strategies shows substantial differences from current mainstream models of health promotion and knowledge translation. Health promotion efforts need to acknowledge the distinct health information processes of this community, and should strive to integrate existing health information sources and strategies of dissemination with those of the community.
MeSH terms: Inuit, urban population, urban health, health services research, health promotion, knowledge translation
Résumé
Objectif: Étudier des sources d’information sur la santé et des stratégies de diffusion de l’information dans la perspective d’une communauté inuite en milieu urbain pour mieux orienter les efforts de promotion de la santé.
Méthode: Par l’entremise d’un partenariat de collaboration avec le Centre de ressources pour la famille Tungasuvvingat Inuit, nous avons mené une série d’entretiens avec des informateurs clés et organisé des groupes de discussion afin de recueillir des données sur les sources précises d’information sur la santé, les stratégies de diffusion de cette information et les grands thèmes des processus d’information sanitaire.
Constatations: Les données recueillies ont permis de cerner différents types de sources d’information sur la santé et de stratégies de diffusion. Leurs grands thèmes étaient les suivants: l’importance de l’apprentissage visuel, des aînés de la communauté et des interprètes culturels; la cohésion communautaire; et la distinction entre Inuits et non-Inuits. Les sources d’information de base étaient des membres de la famille et de la communauté inuite. La principale stratégie de diffusion de l’information sanitaire était la communication directe, que ce soit dans le cadre d’entretiens individuels ou de séances en groupe.
Conclusion: Cette perspective communautaire des sources d’information sur la santé et des stratégies de diffusion de l’information montre qu’il existe des différences marquées par rapport aux modèles courants de promotion de la santé et de transmission du savoir. Les efforts de promotion de la santé doivent tenir compte des processus d’information distincts dans la communauté en question et tenter d’intégrer les sources d’information et les stratégies de diffusion existantes avec celles de la communauté.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements: Support for this paper came from a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship and an Anisnawbe Kekendazone Centre Fellowship to the first author. This project was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant to the second author. Portions of this paper are based on the doctoral dissertation of the first author. The authors wish to thank the community research team members and members of the Inuit community for their participation and partnership in the project. In addition, a special thanks to Inuit Elders Qapik Attagutsiak, Susanna Singoorie and Kigutikajuk Shappa.
References
- 1.Statistics Canada. 2001 Census of Canada. Ottawa, ON: Author; 2001. [Google Scholar]
- 2.Statistics Canada. 2001 Census of Canada. Ottawa: Author; 2001. [Google Scholar]
- 3.Smylie J. A guide for health professionals working with aboriginal peoples. Executive summary. J Soc Obstet Gynecol. 2000;22:1056–61. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 4.Smylie J. A guide for health professionals working with aboriginal peoples. The sociocultural context of aboriginal peoples in Canada. J Soc Obstet Gynecol. 2000;22:1072–81. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 5.Smylie J. A guide for health professionals working with aboriginal peoples. Health issues affecting aboriginal peoples. J Soc Obstet Gynecol. 2001;23:54–68. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 6.Smylie J. A guide for health professionals working with aboriginal peoples. Health resources. J Soc Obstet Gynecol. 2005;23:255–70. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 7.Smylie J. A guide for health professionals working with aboriginal peoples. Cross-cultural communication. J Soc Obstet Gynecol. 2001;23:157–67. [Google Scholar]
- 8.Jenkins AL, Gyorkos TW, Culman KN, Pekeles GS, Mills EL. An overview of factors influencing the health of Canadian Inuit infants. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2003;62:17–39. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v62i1.17526. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 9.Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Backgrounder health. 2004. [Google Scholar]
- 10.Archibald L, Grey R. Evaluation Models of Health Care Delivery in Inuit Regions. Ottawa: Inuit Tapiriiksat Kanatami; 2000. [Google Scholar]
- 11.Thouez J-P, Foggin P, Rannou A. Correlates of health-care use: Inuit and Cree of northern Quebec. Soc Sci Med. 1990;30:25–34. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(90)90326-N. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 12.Bjerregaard P. Rapid socio-cultural change and health in the Arctic. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2005;60:102–11. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 13.Christie L, Halpern JM. Temporal constructs and Inuit mental health. Soc Sci Med. 1990;30:739–49. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(88)90260-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 14.Young TK. Review of research on aboriginal populations in Canada: Relevance to their health needs. Br Med J. 2003;327:419–22. doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7412.419. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 15.McShane KE, Hastings PD. Culturally-sensitive approaches to research on child development and family practices in First Peoples communities. First Peoples: Child and Family Review. 2004;1:33–48. [Google Scholar]
- 16.Jacobson N, Butterill D, Goering P. Development of a framework for knowledge translation: Understanding user context. J Health Services Res Policy. 2003;8:94–99. doi: 10.1258/135581903321466067. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 17.Tungasuvvingat Inuit . personal communication. 2005. [Google Scholar]
- 18.Green LW, George MA, Daniel M, Frankish CJ, Herbert CJ, Bowie WR, et al. Participatory research in health promotion. Ottawa: The Royal Society of Canada; 1995. [Google Scholar]
- 19.Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Appendix B: Ethical guidelines for research. Ottawa: RCAP; 1993. [Google Scholar]
- 20.Fletcher C. Community-based participatory research relationships with Aboriginal communities in Canada: An overview of context and process. Pimatziwin. 2003;1:27–61. [Google Scholar]
- 21.Macaulay AC, Commanda LE, Freeman WL, Gibson N, McCabe ML, Robbins CM, et al. Participatory research maximizes community and lay involvement. Br Med J. 1999;319:744–78. doi: 10.1136/bmj.319.7212.774. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 22.Stake R. The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; 1995. [Google Scholar]
- 23.Yin RK. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications; 1984. [Google Scholar]
- 24.Crabtree BR, Miller WL. Doing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; 1999. [Google Scholar]
- 25.Institute of PopulationPublic Health. Mapping and tapping the wellsprings of health strategic plan 2002–2007. 2005. [Google Scholar]
- 26.Bronfenbrenner U. The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; 1979. [Google Scholar]
- 27.Bronfenbrenner U. Ecological systems theory. In: Vasta R, editor. Annals of Child Development. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press; 1989. pp. 187–251. [Google Scholar]
- 28.Bronfenbrenner U. The ecology of cognitive development: Research models and fugitive findings. In: Wozniak RH, Fischer KW, editors. Development in Context. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum; 1993. pp. 3–44. [Google Scholar]
- 29.Hanrahan M. Identifying the needs of Innu and Inuit patients in urban health settings in Newfoundland and Labrador. Can J Public Health. 2002;93(2):149–52. doi: 10.1007/BF03404558. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 30.Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Knowledge translation overview 2002. 2004. [Google Scholar]