Health Promotion and Childhood Obesity among Indigenous Children: Understanding Community Priorities, Prevention Programs, and Protective Factors

• Main Author: Wahi, Gita
• Other Authors: Anand, Sonia, Health Research Methodology
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11375/27343

The global prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has more than quadrupled in the last 40 years. Emerging evidence suggests that the propensity to develop non-communicable chronic diseases, including obesity, is rooted in early-life exposures. There are populations that have a more significant burden of childhood obesity and related complications, in Canada this includes Indigenous peoples. The higher burden of obesity and non-communicable chronic diseases is explicitly rooted in the social determinants of health, and any discussion of the determinants of health for Indigenous peoples in Canada should be inclusive of historical and present-day contextual factors that have ongoing impacts on health outcomes including colonialism, racism, and self-determination. With a guiding framework of community-based participatory research this thesis consists of two published manuscripts and one manuscript prepared for submission. The work is woven together by the theme of understanding community priorities, effectiveness of programs, and determinants for obesity prevention strategies among Indigenous children. The first study is a qualitative descriptive study in partnership with two First Nations communities in Canada. The objective of the study was to support two Indigenous communities in identifying priorities and strategies for promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity for young children. The second study is a systematic review which sought to describe the effectiveness of programs aimed at obesity prevention and/or the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviours for Indigenous children. The last study examines how factors including social disadvantage, maternal education, maternal diet, and traditional birth practices are associated with infant diet at age 1-year. The final chapter describes the implications of the findings. Thesis Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)