All That Glitters: Diamond Mining and Tłįchǫ Youth in Behchokǫ, Northwest Territories

Currently, Canada’s northern territories have three active diamond mines and one mine under construction, and one mine has recently closed. In response to local concerns, and in partnership with members of the Tłįchǫ First Nation, this ethnographic study examines the positive and detrimental impacts of diamond mining on youth in Behchokǫ, Northwest Territories, using data collected from intensive fieldwork and participant observation, focus groups, interviews, and archival documents. The study of mining impacts remains a complex and contested field. Youth in Behchokǫ experience both negative and positive effects of mining. Diamond mining companies are places of employment and act as community resources; their development has influenced the transience of individuals in the region, the identity and roles of family caregivers, the motivation of students, the purpose of schooling, and the level of economic prosperity in some (but not all) families. The diverse impacts of these changes on the health of northern individuals and communities can be understood only within the broader context of social, economic, political, and environmental changes occurring in the Arctic today. Results of this study help inform ongoing efforts by those in Behchokǫ  and the Northwest Territories to monitor the effects of diamond mining and maximize the potential benefits for local people, including youth.En ce moment, on compte dans les territoires du nord du Canada trois mines de diamants actives, une mine en construction et une mine dont la fermeture est récente. En raison d’inquiétudes exprimées par les gens de la région, et en partenariat avec les membres de la Première Nation Tłįchǫ, la présente étude ethnographique se penche sur les incidences favorables et défavorables de l’extraction des diamants chez les jeunes de Behchokǫ , dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, à partir de données recueillies dans le cadre de travaux intensifs sur le terrain et d’observation des participants, de groupes de discussion, d’entrevues et de documents archivés. L’étude des incidences de l’exploitation minière constitue toujours un domaine complexe et contesté. À Behchokǫ, l’exploitation minière a des conséquences négatives et positives chez les jeunes. Les sociétés d’extraction de diamant constituent à la fois des employeurs et des ressources communautaires. L’expansion de ces sociétés a amené des personnes transitoires dans la région, en plus d’avoir des effets sur l’identité et le rôle des aidants membres de la famille, sur la motivation des élèves, sur l’utilité d’une formation scolaire et sur le degré de prospérité économique de certaines familles (mais pas toutes). Les diverses incidences découlant de ces changements sur la santé des personnes et collectivités du nord ne peuvent se comprendre que dans le plus grand contexte des changements d’ordre social, économique, politique et environnemental qui s’exercent dans l’Arctique de nos jours. Les résultats de cette étude aident à informer les efforts qui sont déployés en permanence à Behchokǫ  et dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, efforts visant à surveiller les effets de l’extraction des diamants et à maximiser les retombées éventuelles sur les gens de la région, dont les jeunes

Prevalence and Patterns of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Canadian Youth: A Northern Focus

Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a well-known risk factor for weight gain, tooth decay, and metabolic syndrome. Rates of SSB consumption in Nunavut specifically, have been noted to be exceptionally high. This study describes consumption rates of specific foods and beverages, with a focus on SSBs, among adolescents in Nunavut, northern Canada as a whole, and the Canadian provinces, using data from the 2010 and 2014 cycles of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study to investigate population characteristics and consumption patterns. Comparative analyses of consumption patterns for Nunavut, the three territories combined, and the southern provinces found that in 2010, those who consumed SSBs once a day or more comprised 53.1% of adolescents in Nunavut, 31.1% in the northern territories and 24% in the provinces. Comparable figures for 2014 were 55.0% in Nunavut, but only 27.0% in all the territories, and 19.1% in the provinces. The percentage of adolescents who consumed fruit and vegetables daily was also lower in Nunavut than in the provinces (65.5% vs. 85.3% in 2010, and 57.5% vs. 84.4% in 2014). More Nunavut adolescents consumed sweets and potato chips daily than provincial adolescents (42.6% vs. 27.6% in 2010, and 52.2% vs. 25.2% in 2014). A greater proportion of Nunavut adolescents reported high consumption of SSBs, as well as other energy-dense foods, when compared to adolescents in the three territories combined and in the provinces. These results confirm previous studies but provide a current and comprehensive analysis that can help inform future food and nutrition priorities and programing. La consommation régulière de boissons édulcorées est un facteur de risque bien connu pour le gain de poids, les caries et le syndrome métabolique. Au Nunavut plus particulièrement, la consommation de boissons édulcorées est exceptionnellement élevée. Cette étude décrit les taux de consommation d’aliments et de boissons spécifiques et met l’accent sur les boissons édulcorées chez les adolescents du Nunavut, du Nord canadien dans son ensemble, et des provinces canadiennes en s’appuyant sur les données des cycles de 2010 et de 2014 de l’enquête « Les comportements de santé des jeunes d’âge scolaire » (l’Enquête HBSC), enquête qui a pour but d’étudier les caractéristiques de la population et les habitudes de consommation. Les analyses comparatives des habitudes de consommation du Nunavut, des trois territoires dans leur ensemble et des provinces du sud du pays ont permis de remarquer qu’en 2010, 53,1 % des adolescents du Nunavut consommaient des boissons édulcorées une fois par jour ou plus, 31,1 % dans les territoires du Nord et 24 % dans les provinces. Pour 2014, les données comparables étaient de 55,0 % au Nunavut, mais de seulement 27,0 % dans l’ensemble des territoires et de 19,1 % dans les provinces. Le pourcentage d’adolescents qui consommait des fruits et des légumes au quotidien était moins élevé au Nunavut que dans les provinces (65,5 % par opposition à 85,3 % en 2010, et 57,5 % par opposition à 84,4 % en 2014). Au Nunavut, un plus grand nombre d’adolescents consommait des sucreries et des croustilles au quotidien par rapport aux adolescents des provinces (42,6 % par opposition à 27,6 % en 2010, et 52,2 % par opposition à 25,2 % en 2014). Une plus grande proportion d’adolescents du Nunavut a signalé une grande consommation de boissons édulcorées et d’autres aliments à forte teneur en énergie comparativement aux adolescents des trois territoires dans leur ensemble et aux adolescents des provinces. Ces résultats confirment les résultats d’études antérieures, en plus de présenter une analyse actuelle et exhaustive dont on peut se servir pour jeter de la lumière sur les priorités et la programmation futures en matière d’alimentation et de nutrition

Family as a health promotion setting: A scoping review of conceptual models of the health-promoting family

Background The family is a key setting for health promotion. Contemporary health promoting family models can establish scaffolds for shaping health behaviors and can be useful tools for education and health promotion. Objectives The objective of this scoping review is to provide details as to how conceptual and theoretical models of the health promoting potential of the family are being used in health promotion contexts. Design Guided by PRISMA ScR guidelines, we used a three-step search strategy to find relevant papers. This included key-word searching electronic databases (Medline, PSycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL), searching the reference lists of included studies, and intentionally searching for grey literature (in textbooks, dissertations, thesis manuscripts and reports.) Results After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the overall search generated 113 included manuscripts/chapters with 118 unique models. Through our analysis of these models, three main themes were apparent: 1) ecological factors are central components to most models or conceptual frameworks; 2) models were attentive to cultural and other diversities, allowing room for a wide range of differences across family types, and for different and ever-expanding social norms and roles; and 3) the role of the child as a passive recipient of their health journey rather than as an active agent in promoting their own family health was highlighted as an important gap in many of the identified models. Conclusions This review contributes a synthesis of contemporary literature in this area and supports the priority of ecological frameworks and diversity of family contexts. It encourages researchers, practitioners and family stakeholders to recognize the value of the child as an active agent in shaping the health promoting potential of their family context.Brock Library Open Access Publishing Fun

Displacement and Emotional Well-Being among Married and Unmarried Syrian Adolescent Girls in Lebanon: An Analysis of Narratives

Lebanon hosts over one million refugees displaced from Syria as a result of the armed conflict—of whom, approximately 15% are adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years of age. Many female adolescent migrants report a decrease in quality of life and an increase in family tensions. This study sought to investigate the emotional well-being of adolescent Syrian girls in Lebanon. We hypothesized that married girls may experience additional hardships and thus greater feelings of dissatisfaction in daily life, given their young marriage and responsibilities at home. This study was part of a large mixed-methods study on the experiences of Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon (n = 1422). Using line-by-line coding and thematic analysis, 188 first-person narratives from Syrian girls were analysed. Our results highlight poor emotional well-being among married and unmarried girls, with sadness, fear and anger commonly mentioned. Some participants expressed feelings of hope, happiness, gratefulness and empowerment. Unmarried girls (n = 111) were more likely to associate their shared stories with negative feelings such as sadness (47% vs. 22%), disappointment (30% vs. 19%), and frustration (32% vs. 22%) than were married girls (n = 77). Four themes emerged as important determinants: access to education, perceived safety, peer support, and longing for life back in Syria. Continued efforts to improve emotional well-being for married and unmarried refugee girls are needed in Lebanon, in particular those that address the nuances for these groups

Development of a dual-factor measure of adolescent mental health: an analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2014 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study

Introduction Studies of adolescent mental health require valid measures that are supported by evidence-based theories. An established theory is the dual-factor model, which argues that mental health status is only fully understood by incorporating information on both subjective well-being and psychopathology. Objectives To develop a novel measure of adolescent mental health based on the dual-factor model and test its construct validity. Design Cross-sectional analysis of national health survey data. Setting and participants Nationally weighted sample of 21 993 grade 6–10 students; average age: 14.0 (SD 1.4) years from the 2014 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Measures Self-report indicators of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect), and psychopathology (psychological symptoms and overt risk-taking behaviour) were incorporated into the dual-factor measure. Characteristics of adolescents families, specific mental health indicators and measures of academic and social functioning were used in the assessment of construct validity. Results Proportions of students categorised to the four mental health groups indicated by the dual-factor measure were 67.6% ‘mentally healthy’, 17.5% ‘symptomatic yet content’, 5.5% ‘asymptomatic yet discontent’ and 9.4% ‘mentally unhealthy’. Being mentally healthy was associated with the highest functioning (greater social support and academic functioning) and being mentally unhealthy was associated with the worst. A one-unit increase (ranges=0–10) in peer support (OR 1.19; 95%CI 1.15 to 1.22), family support (OR 1.32; 95%CI 1.28 to 1.36), student support (OR 1.20; 95%CI 1.17 to 1.24) and average school marks (OR 1.18; 95%CI 1.10 to 1.27) increased the odds of being symptomatic yet content versus mentally unhealthy. Mentally healthy youth were the most likely to live with both parents (77% vs ≤65%) and report their family as well-off (62% vs ≤53%). Conclusions We developed a novel, construct valid dual-factor measure of adolescent mental health. This potentially provides a nuanced and comprehensive approach to the assessment of adolescent mental health that is direly needed.Canadian Institutes of Health Researc

Family Support Differences Between Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Adolescents Across 30 Countries: Examining the Moderating Role of Cultural Distance, Culture of Origin, and Reception in Receiving Societies

Differing theoretical indications suggest that immigrant adolescents’ perceptions of family support will either be lower or higher than those of their non-immigrant peers. To unravel this inconsistency, current cross-national study examines family support differences between first- and second-generation immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents. It also investigates how these differences vary based on restrictive integration policies, anti-immigrant attitudes, and immigrant density in the receiving country, the obedience orientation of the origin country, and the cultural distance in obedience orientation between the origin- and receiving country. Cross-classified multilevel regression analyses were conducted on data from the 2017 to 2018 Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey with a national representative sample of adolescents from 178 origin countries in 30 receiving countries across Europe, Central Asia, and in Israel. Results revealed the variance in family support was small at the level of the origin country (0.73%) and the community (1.24%), while modest at the receiving country level (10.91%). Family support was slightly lower for adolescents of both immigrant generations compared with non-immigrant adolescents, with greater differences for first-than for second-generation immigrants (respectively d =.16 and d =.02). Differences in family support were unrelated to restrictive integration policies, anti-immigrant attitudes, immigrant density, or obedience orientation. However, family support for second-generation immigrant adolescents decreased more compared with non-immigrants when their cultural distance was greater. Concluding, immigrant adolescents’ lower family support, may reflect their exposure to more stressors than non-immigrants. Cultural distance can amplify these stressors, thereby affecting family support for some immigrants more than others

Competency-based simulation assessment of resuscitation skills in emergency medicine postgraduate trainees – a Canadian multi-centred study

Background: The use of high-fidelity simulation is emerging as a desirable method for competency-based assessment in postgraduate medical education. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of a multi-centre simulation-based Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) of resuscitation competence with Canadian Emergency Medicine (EM) trainees.Method: EM postgraduate trainees (n=98) from five Canadian academic centres participated in a high fidelity, 3-station simulation-based OSCE.  Expert panels of three emergency physicians evaluated trainee performances at each centre using the Queen’s Simulation Assessment Tool (QSAT).  Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to measure the inter-rater reliability, and analysis of variance was used to measure the discriminatory validity of each scenario.  A fully crossed generalizability study was also conducted for each examination centre.   Results: Inter-rater reliability in four of the five centres was strong with a median absolute intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) across centres and scenarios of 0.89 [0.65-0.97]. Discriminatory validity was also strong (p < 0.001 for scenarios 1 and 3; p < 0.05 for scenario 2). Generalizability studies found significant variations at two of the study centres.Conclusions: This study demonstrates the successful pilot administration of a multi-centre, 3-station simulation-based OSCE for the assessment of resuscitation competence in post-graduate Emergency Medicine trainees