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An Indigenous food sovereignty initiative is positively associated with well-being and cultural connectedness in a survey of Syilx Okanagan adults in British Columbia, Canada
- Source :
- BMC Public Health, Vol 21, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2021), BMC Public Health
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- BMC, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Background For the Syilx Okanagan Nation in Canada, salmon has vital nutritional, cultural, and spiritual significance. Yet, the Okanagan Sockeye salmon population came to near extinction, resulting in a drastic decline in salmon consumption from high historical levels. Thus, restoring and protecting salmon is crucial to Syilx well-being and way of life. A Syilx-led food sovereignty initiative re-established the Okanagan Sockeye salmon population, which has resulted in a rise in fish harvesting. The aim of this study was to assess whether engaging with this initiative was associated with health, well-being, and cultural connectedness (i.e., degree to which one is integrated in their culture) among Syilx adults. Eating Okanagan Sockeye salmon was conceptualized as a proxy for engaging with this Indigenous food sovereignty initiative. Methods 265 Syilx adults completed a survey including a traditional food frequency questionnaire and questions on health status (e.g., BMI, self-assessed physical health), well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, stress levels), and cultural connectedness (e.g., sense of belonging, importance of cultural practices). Participants were divided into 3 groups based on their wild salmon eating during the year prior to the survey: (1) adults who ate Okanagan Sockeye salmon, (2) adults who ate salmon but did not usually know the species of the salmon they ate, or who solely ate salmon that were not Okanagan Sockeye; and (3) adults who did not eat any salmon. Results A statistically significant gradient was observed for enhanced well-being and cultural connectedness, with individuals in group 1 having better indicators than those in group 2, and adults in groups 1 and 2 having better indicators than adults in group 3. No differences were observed in physical health outcomes between the three groups. Conclusion Findings suggest that the initiative to re-establish Okanagan Sockeye salmon in the Okanagan River system may have led to better well-being and cultural connectedness among Syilx adults. This study highlights the importance of Indigenous food sovereignty as a way to enhance well-being and cultural connectedness among First Nations in Canada. Findings also reinforce the importance of assessing health and well-being in a wholistic way in Indigenous health research.
- Subjects :
- Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
030309 nutrition & dietetics
Social connectedness
Traditional food
Population
Well-being
Cultural food security, Food sovereignty
Indigenous
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Rivers
Salmon
Surveys and Questionnaires
Animals
Humans
Medicine
030212 general & internal medicine
education
0303 health sciences
education.field_of_study
British Columbia
business.industry
Research
Public health
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Life satisfaction
Food sovereignty
Food
Cultural connectedness
Biostatistics
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
business
Demography
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14712458
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Public Health
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f6a702a7636ddfbf541363c7088f6b73