INEQUALITY AT BIRTH
BY ADRIAN COMAN
IDENTIFYING THE DISADVANTAGES PLACED ON
INDIGENOUS CANADIANS
HEALTHCARE ACCESS
Accessing healthcare for Indigenous
Canadians is substantially harder
and health problems are more
2
prevalent.
INCREASED POVERTY
RATES
In 2016, the average income of
Indigenous Canadian men living on
reserves was only 44% of the average
1
income of a non-Indigenous male.
LACK OF EDUCATIONAL
SUPPORT
Causes
-Lower life expectancy
-Increased infant mortality rates
1, 2, 4
-Increased chronic diseases
1
1
Causes
-Food insecurities
-Poor hygiene (can lead to long-term health
effects) 4
1, 7
-Poor living conditions
1, 2, 4
Causes
-Increased mental illnesses
In 2016, 20% less Indigenous
1
Canadians living on reserves obtained -Higher suicide rates
1
a high school education compared to -Increased mortality rates
1
non-Indigenous Canadians.
The unemployement rate was also
almost 2 times higher in
Indigenous people compared to non1
Indigenous people.
6
How nurses can help?
-Teach Indigenous people about mental illness
6
-Greatly reduce the suicide rate
-Promote healthy eating
-Open clinics closer to Indigenous reserves / territories
4
-Indigenous nurse navigator (creates a holistic approach for care towards a
5
patient)
3
-Open food drives for Indigenous people
References
1. Raphael, D., Bryant, T., Mikkonen, J., & Raphael, A. (2020). Indigenous Ancestry. In Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian facts (2nd edition, 2020) (pp. 59–62).
Oshawa: Ontario Tech University Faculty of Health Sciences and Toronto: York University School of Health Policy and Management Tech University Faculty of Health
Sciences.
2. Garrod, M., Vafaei, A., & Martin, L. (2020). The link between difficulty in accessing health care and health status in a Canadian context. Health Services Insights.
https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1178632920977904
3. Kyoon-Achan, G., Schroth, R. J., DeMaré, D., Sturym, M., Edwards, J. M., Sanguins, J., Campbell, R., Chartrand, F., Bertone, M., & Moffatt, M. E. K. (2021). First Nations
and Metis peoples’ access and equity challenges with early childhood oral health: A qualitative study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 20(1), 1–13.
https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12939-021-01476-5
4. Tremblay, M., Bradette, L. M., Witteman, H. O., Dogba, M. J., Breault, P., Paquette, J., Careau, E., & Echaquan, S. (2021). Providing culturally safe care to Indigenous
people living with diabetes: Identifying barriers and enablers from different perspectives. Health Expectations, 24(2), 296–306. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13168
5. Roberts, C., Barton, G., & McDonald, A. (2020). Supporting First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) in an oncology setting--My experience as a FNIM Nurse Navigator.
Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal, 30(4), 300–308.
6. Gibson, M., Stuart, J., Leske, S., Ward, R., & Tanton, R. (2021). Suicide rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: the influence of community level
cultural connectedness. The Medical Journal of Australia., 214(11), 514–518. https://doi.org/10.5694/ mja2.51084
7. Wien, F., Denis, J., Dockstator, J. S., Dockstator, M. S., Duhaime, G., Loppie, C., Loxley, J., Moore, C., Newhouse, D., Weir, W., Whiteduck, J., & Wuttunee, W. (2019). First
Nation paths to well-being: lessons from the Poverty Action Research Project. Global Health Promotion, 26(3), 6-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1757975919831654