Predictors of Land-Based Activity Participation in a National Representative Sample of Indigenous Individuals Living Off-Reserve

• Published in: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Main Authors: Elaine Toombs, Jessie Lund, Aislin R. Mushquash, Christopher J. Mushquash
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022
• Subjects: First Nations health; Indigenous mental health; land-based treatment; cultural treatment; population-level health; public health; Medicine; R; First Nations
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138029; https://doaj.org/article/5a35666ffdbb4ece8056fec4b0905ddf

This study examined data from the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey to consider predictors of land-based activity engagement. We hypothesized that higher self-reported mental and physical health scores, an increased sense of cultural belonging, living in a rural community, and no prior individual or family history of residential school attendance would predict a higher frequency of land-based activity engagement among First Nations individuals living off-reserve. Results from linear regression analyses suggested that an increased sense of cultural belonging, being male, and living in a rural community with a population of less than 1000 people were significant predictors of the frequency of land-based activity engagement. With these preliminary findings, further research can explore how physical and mental health outcomes influence the frequency of land-based activity engagement, in addition to how community-specific indicators may promote higher frequency of these activities, particularly among First Nations individuals living off-reserve.