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Young D, Listener L, Ruiz MFT, Chow-Horn W, Lee M, Cutknife L, Bruno S, Gray M, Bell RC, Oster RT. Ohpikihâwasowin (grounding and guiding on the path to be a healthy parent): virtual adaptation of an Elders mentoring program to support maternal and child wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:1059. [PMID: 39267016 PMCID: PMC11395181 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11518-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Elders Mentoring Program (EMP) is part of a strengths-based community-based participatory research partnership with the Cree communities of Maskwacîs, Alberta, Canada. The EMP objective is to promote maternal and child health through traditional Cree teachings and support from community Elders to pregnant women and their partners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elders decided to shift the program to an online format in early 2021. The Elders continued to offer mentorship to program participants virtually by Zoom and telephone, and online workshops. The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences of women that took part in the virtual EMP. METHODS We utilized qualitative description as our method, informed by our overarching community-led research partnership. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted by Maskwacîs research assistants (RAs) with 11 women who participated in the virtual program. Interviews were conducted between December 2021 and June 2022. The participants were asked about their perceptions of the program and its benefits. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded by four RAs using thematic analysis. RESULTS Although cultural teachings are traditionally offered in person, the shift to the virtual platform was greatly appreciated by all the women. Technology can be a useful tool for cultural teachings and language to be shared among community members when they cannot be physically together. Four main themes emerged from the data, representing the participants' experiences, and learning through their interactions with the Elders from the EMP. The themes are: Ohpikihâwasowin (grounding and guiding on the path to be a healthy parent); Indigenous ways of healing; On the path of cultural learning; and Identity for self and baby. CONCLUSION The virtual adaptation of the EMP allowed a space for Elders to offer support to women living in and out of the community to provide guidance with their pregnancies and into motherhood. The workshops and one-on-one calls allowed for cultural revitalization which is critical for Indigenous well-being. All the participants found that the teachings and interactions positively impacted their pregnancy and parenthood. Overall, the virtual program demonstrated a venue for intergenerational healing and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Young
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 2-126B Li Ka Shing Centre for Research, 11203-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H5, Canada
- Ermineskin Cree Nation, Maskwacîs, AB, T0C 1N0, Canada
| | - Luwana Listener
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 2-126B Li Ka Shing Centre for Research, 11203-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H5, Canada
- Ermineskin Cree Nation, Maskwacîs, AB, T0C 1N0, Canada
| | - Maria Fernanda Torres Ruiz
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 2-126B Li Ka Shing Centre for Research, 11203-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H5, Canada
| | - Winnie Chow-Horn
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 2-126B Li Ka Shing Centre for Research, 11203-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H5, Canada
| | - Muriel Lee
- Ermineskin Cree Nation, Maskwacîs, AB, T0C 1N0, Canada
| | | | - Sophie Bruno
- Samson Cree Nation, Maskwacîs, AB, T0C 1N0, Canada
| | - Mandi Gray
- Department of Sociology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Rhonda C Bell
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 2-126B Li Ka Shing Centre for Research, 11203-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H5, Canada
| | - Richard T Oster
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 2-126B Li Ka Shing Centre for Research, 11203-87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H5, Canada.
- Indigenous Wellness Core, Alberta Health Services, 306 Anderson Hall, 10959-102 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5H 2V1, Canada.
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Santiago PHR, Soares GH, Smithers LG, Roberts R, Jamieson L. Psychological Network of Stress, Coping and Social Support in an Aboriginal Population. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15104. [PMID: 36429821 PMCID: PMC9690794 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, increasing research interest has been directed towards the psychosocial factors that impact Aboriginal health, including stress, coping and social support. However, there has been no study that examined whether the behaviours, cognitions and emotions related to stress, coping and social support constitute a psychological network in an Aboriginal population and that examined its properties. To address this gap, the current study employed a new methodology, network psychometrics, to evaluate stress, coping and social support in an Aboriginal Australian population. This study conducted a secondary analysis of the South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC) study, a randomised controlled trial in South Australia, which included 367 pregnant Aboriginal women at study baseline. The Gaussian Graphical Model was estimated with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Node centrality was evaluated with eigencentrality, strength and bridge centrality. Network communities were investigated with the walktrap algorithm. The findings indicated that stress, coping and social support constituted a connected psychological network in an Aboriginal population. Furthermore, at the centre of the network were the troubles experienced by the Aboriginal pregnant women, bridging their perceptions of stress and coping and constituting a potential target for future interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Ribeiro Santiago
- Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), Adelaide Dental School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Gustavo Hermes Soares
- Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), Adelaide Dental School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Lisa Gaye Smithers
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
- School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2500, Australia
| | - Rachel Roberts
- School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Lisa Jamieson
- Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), Adelaide Dental School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
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