NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, wellness, health promotion

Objective(s): To understand the influence Inuit social determinants of health have on the likelihood of Inuvialuit Elders experiencing fall-related injuries and fatalities.

Project Description: This project seeks to understand the influence Inuit social determinants of health have on the likelihood of Inuvialuit Elders experiencing fall-related injuries and fatalities. It also seeks to understand the ways in which these programs can be made to be culturally safe (i.e., when a researcher or program provider ensures that participants’ experiences, as well as their influence on participants’ day-to-day lives, are acknowledged and respected throughout a project's/program's development) for Inuvialuit Elders in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Prior to collecting data, it is planned to identify an advisory board made up of stakeholders who live in Inuvik. This advisory board will consist of approximately 3 to 4 stakeholders, all of whom have an important role in falls prevention. The purpose of this advisory board is to ensure that the research and the practices used are most appropriate for the Inuvialuit Elders. The advisory board will provide a great deal of guidance. Researchers will develop an interview guide, which permits them to ask participants a series of questions (i.e., most often open-ended questions) about specific topics that will be covered. The Principal Investigator (PI) will co-develop an interview guide with the advisory board that will be used during these interviews. Approximately 15 interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders in the community (i.e., Inuvialuit Regional Corporation health promotion specialists, local falls prevention programmers, and Inuvialuit Elders), which will enable the research team to collect data on their personal experiences with fall-related injuries, fatalities, and programs. Participants will be recruited through posters placed on the community boards at the community centre and/or recreation centre, as well as through judgment and snowball sampling. These semi-structured interviews will be conducted in person (The PI will be residing in the community during this time) and at the most convenient time for them. The duration of these interviews will be one to two hours, and all of the sessions will be digitally recorded (with permission from the participants). With focus groups, scholars moderate a discussion amongst various participants, which allows researchers to develop spaces for participants to discuss issues that have resulted from historical, social, and political factors; to share personal experiences; and to work together to develop potential communal ideas and solutions. The PI hopes to conduct 2 focus groups (one focus group with elderly Inuvialuit participants, and another with IRC health promotion specialists and local falls prevention programmers) with approximately 6 to 8 people per group. Participants will be recruited through judgement and snowball sampling. During these focus group interviews, the PI will discuss topics such as the Inuit social determinants of health, falls prevention, and the impact of culture on this presumed issue. These will be conducted at each communities’ recreation and/or community centre at a time that is convenient for the majority of participants. The focus group will last 1-2 hours and all of the sessions will be digitally recorded (with permission from the participants). Participants for both interviews and focus groups will be asked to read and sign a consent form, and freely decide if they would like to participate in the semi-structured interview or focus group. After the interview/focus group is completed, and the primary investigator has reviewed the transcript(s), the participants will be provided with a copy of the transcribed interview (either in a self-addressed envelope or in a Microsoft Word document via email), and their feedback on the document will be requested. This will provide the participants with the opportunity to add or delete statements prior to the analysis of the data. The participant will also have the option of discussing the changes with the researcher over the phone. The review process will take approximately thirty to sixty minutes for the focus group data and thirty to sixty minutes for the interview data. If after two weeks the PI have not heard back from the respondent, it will be assumed that the person is comfortable with the transcript. Once all the participants review their transcripts (within the two week time period), the PI will then begin analyzing the data. Throughout this process, the PI will be in contact with the advisory board, and participants to ensure that the results are accurate and appropriate. Lastly, when the research is in its publishable paper format, the PI will return to Inuvik (most likely in Spring/Summer of 2017) to present the final results. It is also important to mention that an interpreter will be present, if need be. All interview and focus groups data will be transcribed verbatim (in both English and Inuvialuktun) and returned to participants to provide them with the opportunity to decide whether or not they would prefer specific sections be omitted from the research. Additionally, it is hoped that stakeholders involved in this project (i.e., IRC health promotion specialists, and local falls prevention programmers) will use the findings from the research to co-develop (with the Inuvialuit Elders) and implement a culturally safe falls prevention program for this population. To ensure that the results are communicated to Inuvik residents, the final results will be presented back to the participating community, which will likely be in the Spring/Summer of 2017. The participants will also receive copies of the research outcomes. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 11, 2016 to November 11, 2016.