First Nations youth have higher rates of chronic disease, micronutrient deficiencies, mental illness, food insecurity, and face greater health and social inequalities than non-First Nation peers. This presentation, along with part 2, provide reviews of the available Canadian literature on First Nations adolescent health, acknowledge research gaps and discuss practical recommendations and interventions for holistic upstream approaches to improving health outcomes for this population from an East Coast Mi’kmaw Dietitian with experience working with remote Northern Ontario Cree First Nations.
By the end of these two sessions, listeners will:
- Appreciate that chronic disease and mental illness in First Nation youth is multi factorial and requires a holistic interdisciplinary team and community-based approach to prevention, treatment and management.
- Recognize the challenges with Indigenous food sovereignty and food security, health service delivery, and social determinants of health on First Nation Reserves.
- Acquire the confidence to engage with First Nations, Elders, knowledge keepers, hunters, trappers, and traditional medicine people for traditional knowledge not taught in dietetics.
Date of presentation: October 18, 2019, Coast to Coast Speaker Series
Speaker: Melissa Hardy RD, CDE, CSSD, IOC Dip Sports Nutrition is a proud Mi'kmaw woman from unceded territory on the West Coast of Newfoundland presently working at the South-East Grey Community Health Centre in Grey County, ON.
Materials:
- Video presentation (90 min) with the presentation slides (pdf)
- Audio file (mp3 file)
Cost: $19.95 for members; $39.95 for non-members; $9.95 for students
