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A Process for Creating the Aboriginal Children’s Health and Well-Being Measure (ACHWM)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify concepts of health and well-being important to Aboriginal children and youth. These concepts were necessary for the development of a culturally appropriate measure of health.

METHODS: We completed 4 community consultation sessions, 4 advisory committee meetings, and 6 full-day focus groups within the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve. The focus groups engaged Aboriginal children and youth via relevant cultural teachings, a photography exercise combined with a community bicycling tour, and detailed discussions of health and well-being using photovoice. The process was guided by a conceptual model: the Medicine Wheel. The participants placed their photos on a wall mural and identified their most important concepts. These concepts were synthesized through expert consensus into items and reviewed by the broader community.

RESULTS: The participants ranged in age from 8.2 to 17.7 years (mean age=12.3). Through innovative methods, children and youth identified 206 concepts representing the 4 quadrants of the Medicine Wheel: emotional, spiritual, physical and mental. These concepts were refocused, in collaboration with the community, to create a new 60-item measure of health and well-being that was primarily positive in focus.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the success of implementing a unique process of photovoice in combination with bicycling and informed by an Aboriginal framework. The results confirm the distinct conceptualization of health and well-being in this population and underscore the necessity for a culturally appropriate measure. This study also produced a first draft of the Aboriginal Children’s Health and Well-being Measure (ACHWM).

Résumé

Objectif: Cerner les concepts de la santé et du bien-être qui importent aux enfants et aux jeunes autochtones. Ces concepts ont été nécessaires à l’élaboration d’un indicateur de santé culturellement approprié.

MÉTHODE: Nous avons mené 4 séances de consultation communautaire, tenu 4 réunions du comité consultatif et organisé 6 groupes de discussion d’une journée dans la réserve indienne non cédée de Wikwemikong. Les groupes de discussion ont proposé aux enfants et aux jeunes autochtones des enseignements culturels pertinents, un exercice de photographie combiné à une excursion à vélo dans la communauté et une discussion approfondie sur la santé et le bien-être par la méthode Photovoice. Le processus s’est guidé sur le modèle théorique de la « roue médicinale ». Les participants ont placé leurs photos sur une murale et cerné les concepts les plus importants pour eux. Ces concepts ont été résumés par des spécialistes, en consensus, et examinés par la communauté élargie.

RÉSULTATS: Les participants avaient de 8,2 à 17,7 ans (âge moyen=12,3 ans). En employant des méthodes novatrices, les enfants et les jeunes ont cerné 206 concepts représentant les 4 secteurs de la roue médicinale: émotionnel, spirituel, physique et mental. Ces concepts ont été peaufinés, en collaboration avec la communauté, pour créer un nouvel indicateur de la santé et du bien-être en 60 éléments. La perspective adoptée était principalement positive.

CONCLUSION: L’étude montre qu’il est possible de mettre en oeuvre un processus original, combinant la méthode Photovoice au vélo et éclairé par une grille autochtone. Les résultats confirment la conception distincte de la santé et du bien-être dans cette population et soulignent le besoin d’un indicateur culturellement approprié. L’étude a aussi produit une première version d’un «indicateur de la santé et du bien-être des enfants autochtones» (ACHWM).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Rural and Northern Health, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON, P3E 2C6, Canada

    Nancy L. Young PhD & Tricia A. Burke BA

  2. Nahndahweh Tchigehgamig Wikwemikong Health Centre, Wikwemikong, ON, Canada

    Mary Jo Wabano BA & Debbie Mishibinijima BA

  3. School of Human Kinetics, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada

    Stephen D. Ritchie MBA

  4. Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, Canada

    Rita G. Corbiere (Elder)

Authors
  1. Nancy L. Young PhD
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  2. Mary Jo Wabano BA
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  3. Tricia A. Burke BA
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  4. Stephen D. Ritchie MBA
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  5. Debbie Mishibinijima BA
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  6. Rita G. Corbiere
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nancy L. Young PhD.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: Miigwetch: to the many children and youth who shared their vision of health with us; to the Elders for their devotion to this project; to the Health Services Committee and Chief and Council for their ongoing support; to the members of the Advisory Committee for their wisdom and guidance; and to the many members of the community who helped us along our journey.

Funding to support this research was provided by a Community-Based Research Grant from the Indigenous Health Research Development Program (IHRDP). N.L. Young has been supported by a Canada Research Chair from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Additional funding was provided by the Nahndahweh Tchigehgamig Wikwemikong Health Centre and Laurentian University.

Please contact Mary Jo Wabano (MJWabano@wikyhealth.ca) or Nancy L. Young (NYoung@laurentian.ca) for more information on the Aboriginal Children’s Health and Well-being Measure (ACHWM).

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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Young, N.L., Wabano, M.J., Burke, T.A. et al. A Process for Creating the Aboriginal Children’s Health and Well-Being Measure (ACHWM). Can J Public Health 104, e136–e141 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405677

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405677

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