This study uses data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) to examine associations between the social determinants of health and health among off-reserve First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth in Canada aged 12 to 18. The selected measures of health are excellent/very good health, and a diagnosed mood and/or anxiety disorder. The social determinants in this study were selected to depict a wholistic portrait of the lives of Indigenous youth. Measures of socioeconomic status, the physical environment and the school environment were examined, including measures specific to the experiences of Indigenous peoples such as intergenerational trauma and cultural continuity. Findings show that a distinctions-based approach to quantitative research about Indigenous peoples is crucial, as associations between health and the social determinants differ by Aboriginal identity group and by health outcome. This is likely due to differences in cultures, languages, area of residence and different experiences of colonization. However, some determinants such as age and closeness with extended family showed almost consistent relationships with health outcomes. The results from this study indicate that a wholistic and historical understanding of the lives of Indigenous peoples is crucial for understanding health outcomes, and a social determinants approach shifts the focus from stigmatizing research on individual behaviour to an examination of the structural barriers to good health.
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