Assessment of feasibility and outcomes of a salivary cortisol collection protocol in five American Indian communities

Walls, Melissa L.; Dertinger, Melinda; Unzen, Michael E.; Forsberg, Angie K.; Aronson, Benjamin D.; Wille, Stephanie; Al’Absi, Mustafa

doi:10.1080/10253890.2019.1675628

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In situations of acute stress, this leads to what is known as a “fight or flight” response, which leads to physiological changes such as increased heart rate [ 49 ]. Measuring salivary cortisol at-home for Indigenous populations has been reported to result in valuable data and high participant compliance, as it offers lower burdens and disruptions to their daily lives versus in a lab setting [ 68 ]. Nonetheless, in our study, cortisol results were inconclusive.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many of the health inequities associated with Indigenous peoples have been as a result of complex social and environmental factors which converge on chronic psychosocial stress [ 49 ]. There has been increasing evidence demonstrating a link between the chronic activation of the biological stress response, also referred to as the allostatic load, and metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, substance abuse, and mental wellness [ 48 , 49 , 51 , 65 , 68 , 69 , 71 , 75 , 76 ]. Although our study only measured short-term changes with pre- and post-cortisol concentrations, evidence has shown that one of the conditions leading to allostatic load is repeated “hits” or activations from multiple stressors which leads to a lack of adaptation over time [ 48 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Through discussions, we were able to identify some of the impacts of intergenerational trauma, especially with the youth, when discussing issues of substance abuse and a lack of familial structure contributing to the decreased participation in traditional activities. For this reason, studies with Indigenous and other marginalized communities must consider the accumulation of stress across generations due to deeply rooted historic trauma stemming from colonization, which have led to present-day stressors (i.e., poverty, discrimination, unemployment) [ 68 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Niska (Goose) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Ahmed

Solomon

Davey

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Historically, goose harvesting provided a source of culturally significant, safe, and nutritious food for the Omushkego Cree of subarctic Ontario, Canada. Disruptions stemming from colonization and climate change have led to a decrease in harvesting, resulting in higher rates of food insecurity. The aim of the Niska program was to reconnect Elders and youth to revitalize goose harvesting activities and associated Indigenous knowledge within the community. The program and evaluation were built using a two-eyed seeing (Etuaptmumk) and community-based participatory research approach. Salivary cortisol, a biomedical measure of stress, was collected before (n = 13) and after (n = 13) participation in the spring harvest. Likewise, cortisol samples were collected before (n = 12) and after (n = 12) the summer harvest. Photovoice and semi-directed interviews were employed after the spring (n = 13) and summer (n = 12) harvests to identify key elements of well-being from an Indigenous perspective. The changes observed in cortisol levels for the spring (p = 0.782) and summer (p = 0.395) harvests were not statistically significant. However, there was a noteworthy increase in the subjective well-being observed through the qualitative measures (semi-directed interviews and photovoice), highlighting the importance of using multiple perspectives when assessing well-being, especially in Indigenous peoples. Future programs should incorporate multiple perspectives when addressing complex environmental and health issues, such as food security and environmental conservation, especially in Indigenous homelands worldwide.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Niska (Goose) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Ahmed

Solomon

Davey

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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“…Further, chronic stress over a long period can negatively impact an individual’s health and well-being, resulting in a variety of negative outcomes. Many of the Indigenous communities experience stress related to socioeconomic factors, disease, intergenerational trauma, the environment, and other health and social inequities [ 1 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. An unequal exposure to stressful social and environmental factors shapes how the brain processes stimuli and has been shown to underlie health disparities [ 42 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stress has been suggested as a key determinant of health and well-being in the Indigenous communities [ 37 ]; however, a knowledge gap remains in exploring effective programs/interventions to reduce the levels of stress within these populations [ 42 ]. Levels of stress have also been shown to be contributing factors to the high rates of health and well-being disparities in communities [ 36 , 41 , 42 ]. Therefore, there is a need for multi-perspective approaches to the health programs/interventions aimed at addressing the health and well-being inequities in the Indigenous communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Amisk (Beaver) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Ahmed

Solomon

Davey

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The act of decolonizing knowledge systems involves recovering and renewing traditional, non-commodified cultural patterns, such as the sustenance of intergenerational relationships and traditional practices. A decline in beaver harvesting, which was once an integral part of the Omushkego Cree culture, has resulted in an overabundance of beavers and dams, which has negatively affected communities by increasing the local flooding events and impacting the water quality. The aim of the Amisk (beaver) program was to reconnect the Elders and youth to revitalize traditional on-the-land activities and, in the present case, beaver harvesting and associated activities within the community. The program and evaluation were built using a two-eyed seeing (Etuaptmumk) and community-based participatory research approach. Salivary cortisol, a biomedical measure of stress, was collected before and after participation in the program. Photovoice, along with semi-directed interviews, were employed to identify the key elements of well-being from a First Nations’ perspective. For the beaver harvesting activities, the changes observed in the cortisol concentrations were not statistically significant (p = 0.094). However, the act of beaver dam removal was associated with a statistically significant increase in the post-participation cortisol concentration (p = 0.021). It was noteworthy that increased stress during the removal of the beaver dams–as indicated by the elevated post-activity cortisol levels–were not reflected in a decrease in the qualitative measures (semi-directed interviews and photovoice) of well-being from an Indigenous perspective. In fact, there was a noted increase in the subjective well-being of the participants, which highlights the importance of multiple perspectives when assessing well-being, especially in Indigenous peoples. However, the cortisol findings of the present pilot project need to be interpreted with caution, due to the limited sample sizes.

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Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Amisk (Beaver) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Ahmed¹,

Solomon²,

Davey³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The act of decolonizing knowledge systems involves recovering and renewing traditional, non-commodified cultural patterns, such as the sustenance of intergenerational relationships and traditional practices. A decline in beaver harvesting, which was once an integral part of the Omushkego Cree culture, has resulted in an overabundance of beavers and dams, which has negatively affected communities by increasing the local flooding events and impacting the water quality. The aim of the Amisk (beaver) program was to reconnect the Elders and youth to revitalize traditional on-the-land activities and, in the present case, beaver harvesting and associated activities within the community. The program and evaluation were built using a two-eyed seeing (Etuaptmumk) and community-based participatory research approach. Salivary cortisol, a biomedical measure of stress, was collected before and after participation in the program. Photovoice, along with semi-directed interviews, were employed to identify the key elements of well-being from a First Nations' perspective. For the beaver harvesting activities, the changes observed in the cortisol concentrations were not statistically significant (p = 0.094). However, the act of beaver dam removal was associated with a statistically significant increase in the post-participation cortisol concentration (p = 0.021). It was noteworthy that increased stress during the removal of the beaver dams-as indicated by the elevated post-activity cortisol levels-were not reflected in a decrease in the qualitative measures (semi-directed interviews and photovoice) of well-being from an Indigenous perspective. In fact, there was a noted increase in the subjective well-being of the participants, which highlights the importance of multiple perspectives when assessing well-being, especially in Indigenous peoples. However, the cortisol findings of the present pilot project need to be interpreted with caution, due to the limited sample sizes.

show abstract

Assessment of feasibility and outcomes of a salivary cortisol collection protocol in five American Indian communities

Cited by 3 publications

References 49 publications

Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Niska (Goose) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Niska (Goose) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Amisk (Beaver) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Amisk (Beaver) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

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