NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Dehcho Region, South Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, education, public health, youth, cannabis

Objective(s): To explore perspectives of public health and educational leaders regarding cannabis education for Indigenous youth in the Northwest Territories, to make recommendations for the development of culturally appropriate approaches.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4961. The goal of this project is to explore perspectives of public health and educational leaders regarding cannabis education for Indigenous youth in the Northwest Territories, Canada, to make recommendations for the development of culturally appropriate approaches. There will be 10 in-depth interviews conducted, approximately 45-60 minutes in length, will be audio recorded with permission and transcribed verbatim. The interviews will be guided with an interview schedule and an established set of questions outlining the main topics. The data will be analyzed thematically. Purposive sampling is the optimal approach for this study as the potential participants are rich in information on the topic. There will be approximately ten participants from the health and educational sectors including teachers, principals, wellness counsellors, curriculum specialists, and public health nurses, with cultural perspectives to provide a cultural awareness. These individuals will be selected to offer the invitation to participate based on their role and background of working with youth, as they are experts in their field. The criteria will include: •Teachers who have previously taught health education to grade five students and higher •Public health nurses who have provided health education to this specific target group •Principals as they implement and support initiatives •Counsellors who have provided education and/or counselling to youth An email and poster will be emailed to the school principals, and managers within the health sectors of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) to provide an overview of the research study and share with potential participants who meet the criteria. Posters will also be distributed (hand delivered and use of email) to schools, public health offices, and counselling offices to engage interest and promote awareness of the study. Once interested individuals reply to the student researcher, a copy of the invitational poster and the participant information sheet will be sent to these individuals’ government email; there is an intergovernmental directory of the email system to obtain contact information. One follow-up email will be sent if there is no response after a two week period; there will be no coercion. The potential participants have a vast amount of knowledge and background on delivery of education programs, the topic, and/or working with this population in a variety of settings. The student researcher will send the invitation to individuals who meet the criteria, in anticipation to attain the goal of 10 participants for the study. The optimal goal is to include a variety of the professions thereby obtaining different The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from May 7, 2021 to December 31, 2021.