Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada
Indigenous peoples in Canada experience disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Previous research has identified structural racism as a powerful determinant of health and wellbeing. Mounting evidence demonstrates that First Nations are disproportion...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:3c063833040f4a51ab2f7078bfb65981 2023-06-11T04:11:42+02:00 Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada Krista Stelkia 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105851 https://doaj.org/article/3c063833040f4a51ab2f7078bfb65981 EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/10/5851 https://doaj.org/toc/1661-7827 https://doaj.org/toc/1660-4601 doi:10.3390/ijerph20105851 1660-4601 1661-7827 https://doaj.org/article/3c063833040f4a51ab2f7078bfb65981 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 20, Iss 5851, p 5851 (2023) structural racism First Nations indigenous health chronic disease structural determinants of health Canada Medicine R article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105851 2023-05-28T00:34:01Z Indigenous peoples in Canada experience disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Previous research has identified structural racism as a powerful determinant of health and wellbeing. Mounting evidence demonstrates that First Nations are disproportionately over-represented, compared to other Canadians, in several domains that have been used to measure structural racism in other countries. Despite growing concern of the impact of structural racism on health, there remains little empirical evidence on the impact structural racism has on chronic disease health outcomes of First Nations. This qualitative study examines the complex and intersecting ways in which structural racism can influence chronic disease health outcomes and the overall health and wellbeing of First Nations in Canada. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five participants, including subject matter experts in health, justice, education, child welfare, politics, and researchers in racism scholarship and First Nations who have lived experience with a chronic condition(s). Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected. Six themes on how structural racism influences chronic disease and the health of First Nations were identified: (1) multiple and intersecting pathways; (2) systems of failure, harm, and indifference; (3) impacts on access to healthcare; (4) colonial policies of structural deprivation; (5) increased risk factors for chronic disease and poor health; and (6) structural burden leading to individual-level outcomes. Structural racism creates an ecosystem that negatively impacts chronic diseases and the health of First Nations. The findings illuminate how structural racism can have micro-level influences at an individual level and can influence one’s chronic disease journey and progression. Recognizing how structural racism shapes our environments may help to catalyze a shift in our collective understanding of the impact of structural racism on health. Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Canada International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20 10 5851 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
structural racism First Nations indigenous health chronic disease structural determinants of health Canada Medicine R |
spellingShingle |
structural racism First Nations indigenous health chronic disease structural determinants of health Canada Medicine R Krista Stelkia Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada |
topic_facet |
structural racism First Nations indigenous health chronic disease structural determinants of health Canada Medicine R |
description |
Indigenous peoples in Canada experience disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Previous research has identified structural racism as a powerful determinant of health and wellbeing. Mounting evidence demonstrates that First Nations are disproportionately over-represented, compared to other Canadians, in several domains that have been used to measure structural racism in other countries. Despite growing concern of the impact of structural racism on health, there remains little empirical evidence on the impact structural racism has on chronic disease health outcomes of First Nations. This qualitative study examines the complex and intersecting ways in which structural racism can influence chronic disease health outcomes and the overall health and wellbeing of First Nations in Canada. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five participants, including subject matter experts in health, justice, education, child welfare, politics, and researchers in racism scholarship and First Nations who have lived experience with a chronic condition(s). Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected. Six themes on how structural racism influences chronic disease and the health of First Nations were identified: (1) multiple and intersecting pathways; (2) systems of failure, harm, and indifference; (3) impacts on access to healthcare; (4) colonial policies of structural deprivation; (5) increased risk factors for chronic disease and poor health; and (6) structural burden leading to individual-level outcomes. Structural racism creates an ecosystem that negatively impacts chronic diseases and the health of First Nations. The findings illuminate how structural racism can have micro-level influences at an individual level and can influence one’s chronic disease journey and progression. Recognizing how structural racism shapes our environments may help to catalyze a shift in our collective understanding of the impact of structural racism on health. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Krista Stelkia |
author_facet |
Krista Stelkia |
author_sort |
Krista Stelkia |
title |
Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada |
title_short |
Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada |
title_full |
Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada |
title_fullStr |
Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Structural Racism as an Ecosystem: An Exploratory Study on How Structural Racism Influences Chronic Disease and Health and Wellbeing of First Nations in Canada |
title_sort |
structural racism as an ecosystem: an exploratory study on how structural racism influences chronic disease and health and wellbeing of first nations in canada |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105851 https://doaj.org/article/3c063833040f4a51ab2f7078bfb65981 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_source |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 20, Iss 5851, p 5851 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/10/5851 https://doaj.org/toc/1661-7827 https://doaj.org/toc/1660-4601 doi:10.3390/ijerph20105851 1660-4601 1661-7827 https://doaj.org/article/3c063833040f4a51ab2f7078bfb65981 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105851 |
container_title |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
container_volume |
20 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
5851 |
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1768386944376504320 |