Migration Between Indian Reserves and Off-Reserve Areas: an Exploratory Analysis Using Census Data Linkage

Food insecurity as a mediator and moderator in the association between residential mobility and suicidal ideation among Indigenous adults in Canada

PURPOSE

Despite a growing body of literature on the link between residential mobility and suicidal ideation, research into potential mediating or moderating factors, especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, is sparse. This study explores the mediating and moderating roles of food insecurity in the relationship between residential mobility and suicidal ideation in Indigenous Canadian adults.

METHODS

Data from the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, which represent a national sample of off-reserve First Nations peoples, Métis, and Inuit in Canada (N = 16,214), were analyzed using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Food insecurity partially mediated the association between residential mobility in the past 5 years and increased suicidal ideation risk among Indigenous adults. Moreover, food insecurity intensified the adverse link between residential mobility during this same timeframe and suicidal ideation. Yet, while food insecurity did mediate the adverse relationship between residential mobility in the past year and suicidal ideation, it did not function as a moderator.

CONCLUSION

The results emphasize that food insecurity, as a systemic challenge, acts as both a partial mediator and, in some circumstances, an amplifier of the detrimental impacts of residential mobility on suicidal ideation.

Migration into and out of Indian Reserves Between 2011 and 2016: a Study Using Census Data Linkage

The impact of migration on the sizes, composition, and well-being of First Nations communities and the motivations that triggered such migrations have long been a topic of interest among researchers. Exploiting a new data source, linkages of consecutive censuses, this study aims to portray migration into and out of Indian reserves, with a focus on the Indigenous population. Between 2011 and 2016, migrations into and out of reserves resulted in net losses for reserves. These migratory losses, however, did not prevent the population on reserve to continue growing. From a socioeconomic point of view, migrations had a net positive impact on reserves by contributing to increase the proportions of individuals who are employed, with relatively high incomes or relatively high education. Looking at the determinants of migration, and taking advantage of a multilevel framework, it is found that migration into and out of reserves is multidimensional, being influenced by factors at both individual and community levels. Out-migration seems to be governed mainly by the propensity of individuals at certain stages of life to leave the reserve, permanently or not. In contrast, in-migration appears more influenced by reserves’ characteristics, and its prevalence varies greatly from one reserve to another.