NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: health, social sciences, wellness, mental health, community based monitoring, aboriginal youth, participatory research

Objective(s): To examine the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual (i.e., holistic) benefits of participating in northern games for Indigenous youth.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4607. The objective of this community-based participatory research (CBPR) is to examine the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual (i.e., holistic) benefits of participating in northern games for Indigenous youth. To address the research objective, two exploratory research questions will be addressed: 1) How does participation in northern games contribute to emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual benefits for Indigenous youth?, and 2) What factors specific to northern games can be modified to maximize emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual benefits for Indigenous youth? Community-based participatory research (CBPR) engages community partners in all aspects of the research process. Leading Indigenous scholars and various ethical guidelines for engaging in research with Indigenous peoples have acknowledged the strength of employing such participatory approaches when engaging in research with Indigenous peoples. Although specific methods can vary across projects, within this research the team will engage community members and/or participants in all phases of the research. Participants: The research team will recruit a purposeful sample of up to 50 participants: 30 Indigenous youth between the ages of 15 and 24 years (consistent with Statistics Canada’s definition of youth), 10 parents/guardians, 5 coaches, and 5 elders living in Inuvik or Tuktoyaktuk. While the focus will be on the experiences of Indigenous youth, the research advisory board is guided by the assumption that parents/guardians, as well as coaches and elders will provide valuable insights about the holistic benefits of participating in northern games for Indigenous youth. Data Generation: To learn from participants’ in-depth and experiential knowledge, data will be generated via group interviews. As well, participants will be engaged in a "photograph" activity, whereby they use photographs and personal stories to share their knowledge. Data also will be generated via follow-up interviews during the data analysis phase of the research. Specifically, data will be generated from up to 10 group interviews that will consist of 5 participants. For those participants that are interested in taking part in the photograph activity, they will be asked to: “Please take photographs of objects, places, or landscapes that represent the ways in which northern games can positively impact Indigenous youth.” Given ethical considerations, participants will be asked to avoid taking photographs of people. Participants will have the opportunity to take photographs using their own personal devices (e.g., cell phones) or they will be provided with digital cameras. Participants will bring digital or hard copies of two photographs that best represent their experiences to the group interviews. In the first part of the group interviews, participants will be provided an opportunity to describe their photographs and present narratives about what each photograph represents. After sharing their stories regarding the photographs, and in the second component of the group interview, participants will be asked questions based on an interview guide that has been developed by the research advisory board. It will include questions such as: "How might participation in northern games provide physical benefits for Indigenous youth?"; "How might participation in northern games provide mental benefits for Indigenous youth?". With the consent of participants, group interviews will be audio-recorded and will last approximately 1.5 hours. To honour local traditions, a cultural feast will be held after each sharing circle. All group interviews will be transcribed and checked against original recordings. Photographs also will be retained and included in reported findings. Content analysis will be used as the primary method of data analysis, as it is often used when knowledge about a phenomenon is limited and when text is the primary form of data. Although no systematic rules for analysis exist, a feature common in content analysis is that many words of text are grouped/classified into smaller content categories. To develop content categories, the research advisory board will engage in three processes: preparation, organization, and reporting. During preparation, the team will select the unit of analysis (likely, groups of words). Organization will involve open coding, which is the process of developing a codebook and identifying possible categories, patterns, and themes. All participants will have the opportunity to take part in follow-up interviews to share their insights on proposed themes. Feedback will be incorporated into the development of final themes that will be used to represent findings. Finally, when reporting themes, the team will include direct quotations and photographs from participants. The goal of the communication plan is to promote the exchange of knowledge about how participation in northern games contributes to holistic benefits for Indigenous youth. The communication will take many forms, with the voices of Indigenous participants and partners at the centre. The communication plan will include: 1. A 1-2 page infographic that summarizes the findings will be co-developed by the research advisory board and interested participants. Infographics are visual representations of knowledge that are increasingly used to clearly translate research findings. 2. Two community presentations (one in Inuvik and one in Tuktoyaktuk) will be hosted to share findings during a 1-week period at the end of Year2. Presentations will be co-hosted by members of the research advisory board including Indigenous youth. 3. An online “benefits package” will be developed and shared on the Northern Games Society website to outline the various holistic benefits of participating in northern games. The online format will provide an opportunity for coaches/instructors/Elders to blog about best practices. Currently, all schools in Inuvik and surrounding areas are provided with “technical packages” that describe the history of various northern games and implementation instructions, but the numerous potential benefits are not outlined. The RAB will work in partnership with two Indigenous community members with northern games expertise and website development experience to develop the benefits package, which will include photographs from the photovoice component of the research. 4. The research team will share a brief 2-page executive report of key findings with various policy and decision makers with whom they have established relationships (e.g., Sport Canada, Government of Northwest Territories). 6. Research findings and processes will be shared with academic audiences via: Three publications (including two open access publications) in leading sport research peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Psychology of Sport & Exercise). Three research presentations at national (e.g., Sport Canada Research Initiative Conference) and international (e.g., International Conference on Sport and Society) research conferences. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from November 6, 2019 to December 31, 2019.