The oral health of Inuit children in Canada has been identified as a public health crisis. Although efforts are being made to identify and address ways to deal with this crisis, current policy and program approaches are largely entrenched within the prevailing paradigm of dental science to the exclusion of Indigenous people's understandings of health. This article reports qualitative findings of a larger study aimed at identifying, understanding, and addressing rates of oral disease among children living in NunatuKavut, a cluster of small, coastal Inuit communities located in southern Labrador, Canada. Through 18 focus groups with youth (n = 86), caregivers (n = 22), and interviews with key informant (n = 13), this study begins to elucidate southern Inuit understandings of oral health. Theorized using Two-Eyed Seeing, an Indigenous approach to balancing both Indigenous and non-Indigenous understandings of the world, the findings reported here reveal 3 themes, each of which is crosscut by historical and contemporary dimensions: 1) (w)holistic conceptualizations of health are essential to good oral health, 2) achieving optimal oral health is prohibitive for Inuit communities, and 3) community-engaged oral health service delivery is needed. Our recommendations have implications for improved oral public health service delivery for Inuit communities, in that the inclusion of Inuit perspectives on oral health should form an instrumental element of oral public health service delivery. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study may be used by clinicians and oral health educators to inform approaches to oral health service delivery within the context of Indigenous communities. It may also be used by policymakers to recognize how historical and contemporary issues of colonization relate to the formation of oral health-related policies.
The Nova Scotia Insulin Pump Program (NSIPP) subsidizes the cost of insulin pump (CSII) therapy for patients aged 25 and under with type 1 diabetes. Its medical eligibility criteria ensure structured care and follow-up with focused diabetes teams according to provincial guidelines. Studies on CSII and quality of life are mostly survey-based, thus first voice patient experiences are limited. This qualitative study examined patient/parent perspectives on how CSII affects quality of life and is unique in the context of provincial funding. A phenomenological approach was used. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews averaging 36 minutes were completed with NSIPP enrollees and/or their parents, depending on age. Saturation was reached after 23 interviews. Verbatim transcripts were coded independently by two researchers using NVivo. Analysis began with a discussion of coding discrepancies, which were resolved using concept mapping to clarify relationships between codes and identify main themes. More freedom in daily life, feelings of control over life and diabetes, less worry and more positive intra/interpersonal social experiences were main themes, but how they were expressed depended on the patient’s stage of life. CSII facilitated precise insulin delivery, allowing more freedom in daily activities. This freedom led to feelings of control, less worry and improvements in social life. These outcomes manifested in how common life events were experienced. For example, parents often saw CSII as enabling their teen to gain independence, while young adults focused on CSII supporting them to function at work, school, and in relationships. Finally, NSIPP’s financial help was necessary for those without private insurance and experiences with NSIPP’s defined, structured care and follow-up were positive for all. Overall, NSIPP’s financial support to access CSII therapy and its structured care and follow-up improved quality of life, and the exact ways depended on the patients’ stage of life. Disclosure E.J. Haynes: None. M.N. Ley: None. P.J. Talbot: None. M. Dunbar: None. E.A. Cummings: None. Funding Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.