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Silver H, Tukalak S, Sarmiento I, Budgell R, Cockcroft A, Vang ZM, Andersson N. Giving birth in a good way when it must take place away from home: Participatory research into visions of Inuit families and their Montreal-based medical providers. Birth 2023; 50:781-788. [PMID: 37192171 DOI: 10.1111/birt.12726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transferring pregnant women out of their communities for childbirth continues to affect Inuit women living in Nunavik-Inuit territory in Northern Quebec. With estimates of maternal evacuation rates in the region between 14% and 33%, we examine how to support culturally safe birth for Inuit families when birth must take place away from home. METHODS A participatory research approach explored perceptions of Inuit families and their perinatal healthcare providers in Montreal for culturally safe birth, or "birth in a good way" in the context of evacuation, using fuzzy cognitive mapping. We used thematic analysis, fuzzy transitive closure, and an application of Harris' discourse analysis to analyze the maps and synthesize the findings into policy and practice recommendations. RESULTS Eighteen maps authored by 8 Inuit and 24 service providers in Montreal generated 17 recommendations related to culturally safe birth in the context of evacuation. Family presence, financial assistance, patient and family engagement, and staff training featured prominently in participant visions. Participants also highlighted the need for culturally adapted services, with provision of traditional foods and the presence of Inuit perinatal care providers. Stakeholder engagement in the research resulted in dissemination of the findings to Inuit national organizations and implementation of several immediate improvements in the cultural safety of flyout births to Montreal. CONCLUSIONS The findings point toward the need for culturally adapted, family-centered, and Inuit-led services to support birth that is as culturally safe as possible when evacuation is indicated. Application of these recommendations has the potential to benefit Inuit maternal, infant, and family wellness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilah Silver
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sophie Tukalak
- McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Indigenous Maternal Infant Health & Well-being (IMIHW) Lab, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Iván Sarmiento
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Richard Budgell
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Anne Cockcroft
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Zoua M Vang
- Department of Sociology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Neil Andersson
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales - CIET, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Acapulco, Mexico
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Budgell R. An Inuit Perspective on Health and Healthcare in Canada. Healthc Pap 2023; 21:21-27. [PMID: 37417346 DOI: 10.12927/hcpap.2023.27109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
This article presents a portrait of some of the challenges that Inuit encounter in contemporary healthcare systems. It explores the distinctive constitutional and legal framework that encompasses Inuit in Canada and the important work being done by Inuit entities to describe Inuit social determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Budgell
- Labrador Inuit, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC
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Belaid L, Budgell R, Sauvé C, Andersson N. Shifting paradigm from biomedical to decolonised methods in Inuit public health research in Canada: a scoping review. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:bmjgh-2021-008311. [DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe National Inuit Strategy on Research focuses on advancing Inuit governance in research, increasing ownership over data and building capacity. Responding to this call for Inuit self-determination in research, academic researchers should consider cultural safety in research and ways to promote Inuit-led methods.MethodsThis scoping review collated academic literature on public health research in Inuit communities in Canada between 2010 and 2022. A critical assessment of methods used in public health research in Inuit communities examined cultural safety and the use of Inuit-attuned methods. Descriptive and analytical data were summarised in tables and figures. Knowledge user engagement in the research process was analysed with thematic analysis.Results356 articles met the inclusion criteria. Much of the published research was in nutrition and mental health, and few initiatives reported translation into promotion programmes. Almost all published research was disease or deficit focused and based on a biomedical paradigm, especially in toxicology, maternal health and chronic diseases. Recent years saw an increased number of participatory studies using a decolonial lens and focusing on resilience. While some qualitative research referred to Inuit methodologies and engaged communities in the research process, most quantitative research was not culturally safe. Overall, community engagement remained in early stages of co-designing research protocols and interventions. Discussion on governance and data ownership was limited. Recent years saw emerging discussions on these issues. Knowledge user capacity-building was limited to brief training on conventional data collection methods.ConclusionsThe last decade of published public health research has not responded to the National Inuit Strategy on Research. Participatory research is gaining ground, but has not reached its full potential. A shift from biomedical to decolonised methods is slowly taking place, and public health researchers who have not yet embraced this paradigm shift should do so.
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Silver H, Sarmiento I, Pimentel JP, Budgell R, Cockcroft A, Vang ZM, Andersson N. Childbirth evacuation among rural and remote Indigenous communities in Canada: A scoping review. Women Birth 2021; 35:11-22. [PMID: 33714690 DOI: 10.1016/j.wombi.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
PROBLEM Routine evacuation of pregnant Indigenous women from remote regions to urban centres for childbirth is a central strategy for addressing maternal health disparities in Canada. Maternal evacuation continues despite mounting evidence of its negative impacts on Indigenous women and families. BACKGROUND Since the 1960s, pregnant Indigenous women living in remote regions in Canada have been transferred to urban hospitals for childbirth. In the following decades, evidence emerged linking maternal evacuation with negative impacts on Indigenous women, their families, and communities. In some communities, resistance to evacuation and the creation of local birthing facilities has resulted in highly diverse experiences of childbirth and evacuation. AIM A scoping review mapped the evidence on maternal evacuation of Indigenous women in Canada and its associated factors and outcomes from 1978 to 2019. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL, and grey literature from governmental and Indigenous organizations. We collated the evidence on maternal evacuation into 12 themes. RESULTS Factors related to evacuation include (a) evacuation policies (b) institutional coercion (c) remoteness and (d) maternal-fetal health status. Evacuation-related outcomes include (e) maternal-child health impacts (f) women's experience of evacuation (g) financial hardships (h) family disruption (i) cultural continuity and community wellness (ij) engagement with health services (k) self-determination, and (l) quality of health services. DISCUSSION Numerous emotional, social and cultural harms are associated with evacuation of Indigenous women in Canada. Little is known about the long-term impacts of evacuation on Indigenous maternal-infant health. Evidence on evacuation from remote Métis communities remains a critical knowledge gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilah Silver
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, H3S 1Z1, Canada.
| | - Ivan Sarmiento
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, H3S 1Z1, Canada; Grupo de Estudios en Sistemas Tradicionales de Salud, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Juan-Pablo Pimentel
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, H3S 1Z1, Canada; Grupo de Estudios en Sistemas Tradicionales de Salud, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia; Departamento de Medicina Familiar y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chia, Colombia
| | - Richard Budgell
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, H3S 1Z1, Canada
| | - Anne Cockcroft
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, H3S 1Z1, Canada
| | - Zoua M Vang
- Department of Sociology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Institute of Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Neil Andersson
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, H3S 1Z1, Canada; Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Mexico
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