Cultural adaptation of a child health resource to meet the information needs and preferences of Red River Métis parents in Manitoba

• Author / Creator

  Jones, Lisa Joelle Knisley

• Background: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has drawn attention to the inequalities and systemic harms experienced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada, calling on the Canadian government and healthcare professionals to close the gap in Indigenous communities’ access to appropriate healthcare services. A fundamental step in achieving this objective is engaging Indigenous families in developing health information that: (a) adequately and respectfully engages Indigenous families and serves their information needs; and (b) includes Indigenous knowledge and practices as core and robust sources of information. The Canadian Constitution recognizes Métis, First Nations, and Inuit Peoples as the three Indigenous groups and first peoples of Canada. Métis have expressed a need for reliable health information, emphasizing that health systems have left many of their information needs unmet. This research arose from a need identified by the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) for Red River Métis families to have access to meaningful and appropriate resources when their children are sick.Purpose: As part of a research partnership initiated by the MMF, the primary purpose of this dissertation is to contribute new knowledge regarding how to culturally adapt existing child health resources to meet the identified needs and preferences of Red River Métis parents looking for health information when their children are acutely ill. Gaining a better understanding of the experiences Red River Métis parents face about this decision-making process can inform how to provide accessible, useful and meaningful information to guide care. Understanding the barriers that prevent parents from obtaining necessary information can help expose and challenge existing colonial processes. The research objectives are to: (a) examine the experiences of Indigenous families seeking health information for their sick or injured children; (b) determine how a child health resource can be adapted to meet Red River Métis parents’ knowledge needs and preferences; and (c) understand how to engage Red River Métis citizens in Manitoba in the development/adaptation of child health resources. Methods: This dissertation consists of four related papers: (a) an editorial on the Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids (TREKK) knowledge mobilization network, which developed the parent tools that will be culturally adapted; (b) a scoping review to map the literature on Indigenous families’ experiences seeking child health information; (c) a qualitative study to understand Red River Métis parents’ experiences and preferences for seeking child health information; and (d) a qualitative study to provide a better understanding of engagement strategies that can help expose Red River Métis parents to child health research opportunities and to build trust and transparency amongst research partners and participants.Findings: Results from the scoping review demonstrate that Indigenous families do not have access to necessary child health information, which can lead to insensitive, ineffective and unsafe health care. Our qualitative study analysis revealed that the development/adaptation of this information can satisfy Red River Métis parents’ information needs and preferences and support ongoing efforts to revitalize Red River Métis culture and language. Additionally, parents want to participate in culturally safe research that can improve child health, offering spaces to share food, stories, knowledge, and opportunities to listen and learn together. The scoping review and qualitative study findings highlight the lack of research focused on the distinct experiences of Red River Métis families. Through meaningful engagement in knowledge translation research, we can build, rather than break, trusting relationships and implement research in ways that respect and align with parents’ preferences. Conclusions: This dissertation provides a robust analysis of Red River Métis parents’ experiences and health information needs when their children are acutely ill. The research findings, methodological and practical contributions of this dissertation are a critical step in addressing an identified need by the MMF for Red River Métis families to have culturally relevant and meaningful information resources available when their children are sick. The findings provide substantial contributions that strengthen the role of knowledge translation and patient engagement science in supporting reconciliation and the pursuit of equitable care for all children in Canada. Nurses play a critical role in closing the gap of health inequities by improving access to appropriate child health information. However, the nursing profession must support nurses with the necessary training, education and resources. This dissertation can support how this can be achieved in a culturally safe way.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Knowledge translation
  • Red River Métis
  • Patient engagement
  • Indigenous
  • child health
  • pediatrics
  • information seeking

• Graduation date

  Spring 2024

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-cfvp-e039

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.