Social Determinants of Health
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Emerging through international discussions dating back to 1986, determinants of health have evolved over time to encompass the broader social forces that impact upon health. Poverty, employment, working conditions, education and literacy, social status, social support networks, housing, physical environments, geographic location, access to health services, food security, early child development, gender, culture, and language are some of the complex and inter-related social determinants of health. By way of example, higher educational attainment is intrinsically linked to other social determinants of health including greater employment opportunities, higher income, secure housing, more nutritional options and ultimately better health outcomes.
The NCCIH recognizes that colonization and colonialism cross-cut and influence all other social determinants of health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, families and communities. We also know that the health disparities and inequities experienced by Indigenous peoples are rooted in racism and marginalization, dislocation, and social exclusion. While our centre brings forth a strong focus on the social determinants of health, we aim to move beyond health as conceived as a matter of illness due to bio-medical cause and effect, or lifestyle choices. We take the approach that Indigenous ways of knowing and being, including concepts of spirituality, connectedness and reciprocity to the land and all life, self-reliance, and self- determination advance health equality and outcomes.
A fourth forum on Indigenous determinants of health
A short narrative report, and companion digital video, of the fourth and final NCCAH forum with national Indigenous organizations on the social determinants of Indigenous Peoples’ health, held November 28 and 29, 2017, in Ottawa, Ontario. This forum, “Nakistowinan (Stop In) – Pimicisok (Stock Up) – Kapesik (Stay Over)”, focused on the TRC’s Calls to Action towar...
Incredible resiliencies of Indigenous health
When Determinants of Indigenous Peoples’ Health in Canada: Beyond the Social was released in 2015, it was a first in the field of public health: a book about the health of Indigenous peoples written primarily by Indigenous authors, reflecting a diverse range of Indigenous perspectives, and taking into account a wide array of topics relevant to the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples....
Beyond the Social: Author Interviews
All of the contributors interviewed in this video series, from the highly-acclaimed book Determinants of Indigenous Peoples’ Health in Canada: Beyond the Social, share a common concern with improving the health of Indigenous peoples in Canada and beyond. In sharing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit traditional knowledge alongside Western academic and medical knowledge, the authors demon...
Transforming Our Realities
On December 2-3, 2015, the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health (NCCAH) hosted a unique knowledge sharing and networking forum in Ottawa, Ontario, with over 100 representatives from federal, provincial/territorial, and Indigenous governments; academic and research institutions; Indigenous and non-Indigenous health organizations; and national and provincial Indigenous organizations.
Anti-Indigenous racism in Canada
This series of three fact sheets focuses on racism experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada – how to understand it in historical context, how it affects individuals and communities, and what programs, policies and strategies exist to combat it.