Youth-Led Participatory Video as a Strategy to Enhance Inuit Youth Adaptive Capacities for Dealing with Climate Change

Rapid climatic and environmental changes experienced throughout the Canadian North are having significant impacts on the lives of Inuit, with implications for the future of the large Inuit youth population. Within the adaptation research and practitioner community, youth voices, perspectives, and involvement are essential in ensuring representative and sustainable adaptation strategies. This paper examines the potential of youth-led participatory video (PV) as a strategy to foster known protective factors that underpin the resilience of youth and their capacity to adapt to various stresses, including impacts of climate change. The work draws on a case study from the Inuit community of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada, where a two-week PV workshop was conducted with seven youth and followed by in-depth interviews with participants and community members. The findings show that PV may be a pathway to greater adaptive capacities because the process connects to known protective factors that enhance resilience of circumpolar indigenous youth. PV also shows promise as a strategy to engage youth in sharing insights and knowledge, connect generations, and involve young Inuit in planning and decision making in general.  Les changements climatiques et environnementaux rapides qui surviennent dans le Nord canadien ont des répercussions importantes sur la vie des Inuits, avec des conséquences pour l’avenir de la grande population de jeunes Inuits. Au sein de la communauté de praticiens et de recherche sur l’adaptation, la voix des jeunes, leurs perspectives et leur participation sont essentielles pour assurer la mise en oeuvre de stratégies d’adaptation représentatives et durables. Cet article examine la possibilité de faire des vidéos participatives dirigées par les jeunes comme stratégie pour favoriser les facteurs de protection connus qui sous-tendent la résilience chez les jeunes et leur capacité d’adaptation face à divers agents stressants, notamment les conséquences du changement climatique. Le document s’inspire d’une étude de cas de la communauté des Inuits de Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, au Labrador, Canada, où un atelier sur la vidéo participative d’une durée de deux semaines a eu lieu avec sept jeunes, suivi d’entrevues approfondies avec des participants et des membres de la communauté. Les résultats démontrent que la vidéo participative pourrait être une façon d’améliorer les capacités d’adaptation parce que le processus est relié à des facteurs de protection connus qui améliorent la résilience des jeunes indigènes de la région circumpolaire. La vidéo participative s’avère également une stratégie prometteuse pour amener les jeunes à échanger leurs idées et connaissances, établir un lien entre les générations et faire participer les jeunes Inuits à la planification et à la prise de décisions en général

"It never rains in California": constructions of drought as a natural and social phenomenon

In response to suggestions that, in the West, inaction on climate change is due to climate change’s perceived temporal and spatial distance, we examine how people in California responded to the local influence of climate change in relation to the California drought in 2015. Between 2012 and 2016 California experienced an exceptionally severe drought resulting in a variety of social impacts. In this paper, we focus on how people experienced and understood drought (rather than on their views on the connection between anthropogenic climate change and drought). Seventy-one interviews were conducted during ten weeks of fieldwork in late 2015 with people in urban and rural areas of California. Five emerging themes are discussed: (i) conceptions of normality, (ii) location (inside versus outside urban areas), (iii) emotional responses, (iv) understanding the drought as a social and political phenomenon, and (v) marginalised experiences of the drought. Examining perceptions of drought can enhance our understanding of how people react to climate change and the construction of proximity and personal relevance

Resolving fluorescent species by their brightness and diffusion using correlated photon-counting histograms

Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy (FFS) refers to techniques that analyze fluctuations in the fluorescence emitted by fluorophores diffusing in a small volume and can be used to distinguish between populations of molecules that exhibit differences in brightness or diffusion. For example, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) resolves species through their diffusion by analyzing correlations in the fluorescence over time; photon counting histograms (PCH) and related methods based on moment analysis resolve species through their brightness by analyzing fluctuations in the photon counts. Here we introduce correlated photon counting histograms (cPCH), which uses both types of information to simultaneously resolve fluorescent species by their brightness and diffusion. We define the cPCH distribution by the probability to detect both a particular number of photons at the current time and another number at a later time. FCS and moment analysis are special cases of the moments of the cPCH distribution, and PCH is obtained by summing over the photon counts in either channel. cPCH is inherently a dual channel technique, and the expressions we develop apply to the dual colour case. Using simulations, we demonstrate that two species differing in both their diffusion and brightness can be better resolved with cPCH than with either FCS or PCH. Further, we show that cPCH can be extended both to longer dwell times to improve the signal-to-noise and to the analysis of images. By better exploiting the information available in fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy, cPCH will be an enabling methodology for quantitative biology

Climate-sensitive health priorities in Nunatsiavut, Canada

Background: This exploratory study used participatory methods to identify, characterize, and rank climate-sensitive health priorities in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada. Methods: A mixed method study design was used and involved collecting both qualitative and quantitative data at regional, community, and individual levels. In-depth interviews with regional health representatives were conducted throughout Nunatsiavut (n = 11). In addition, three PhotoVoice workshops were held with Rigolet community members (n = 11), where participants took photos of areas, items, or concepts that expressed how climate change is impacting their health. The workshop groups shared their photographs, discussed the stories and messages behind them, and then grouped photos into re-occurring themes. Two community surveys were administered in Rigolet to capture data on observed climatic and environmental changes in the area, and perceived impacts on health, wellbeing, and lifestyles (n = 187). Results: Climate-sensitive health pathways were described in terms of inter-relationships between environmental and social determinants of Inuit health. The climate-sensitive health priorities for the region included food security, water security, mental health and wellbeing, new hazards and safety concerns, and health services and delivery. Conclusions: The results highlight several climate-sensitive health priorities that are specific to the Nunatsiavut region, and suggest approaching health research and adaptation planning from an EcoHealth perspective

A review of protective factors and causal mechanisms that enhance the mental health of Indigenous Circumpolar youth

Objectives: To review the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. Study design: A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed English-language research was conducted to systematically examine the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with elements of a realist review. From 160 records identified in the initial search of 3 databases, 15 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for full review. Data were extracted using a codebook to organize and synthesize relevant information from the articles. Results: More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social environment, which interacts with factors at the individual level to enhance resilience. An emphasis on the roles of cultural and land-based activities, history, and language, as well as on the importance of social and family supports, also emerged throughout the literature

From the minds of youth: exploring Inuit youth resilience within a changing climate and applications for climate change adaptation in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada

The Canadian North is experiencing rapid social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental change that have direct impacts on the lives of Inuit living in this region, as well as serious implications for the future of the Inuit youth. Essential to facing this challenging context is a resilient youth population with the adaptive capacities and coping skills to respond to multiple stressors and pressures. This thesis considers the question of how to foster youth resilience and support youth protective factors that enhance youth well-being and can help young people deal with change, specifically climate change. To answer this question, a systematic literature review, a community-based, youth-led, cross-cultural participatory video project, and a regional community-based study were undertaken to explore youth-identified protective factors and examine challenges to these factors from youth perspectives and experiences. Specifically, this thesis characterizes the protective factors that influence Circumpolar Indigenous youth mental health resilience to climate change; explores participatory video as a process that can foster protective factors thereby demonstrating potential to be used in adaptation as a way to enhance youth resilience; documents youth-identified protective factors that support mental health and well-being amidst change (i.e. social, cultural, economic, or environmental); and examines how climatic changes and related environmental impacts challenge these factors throughout the region of Nunatsiavut from a youth perspective. The findings from this work highlight the importance of youth voices, perspectives, and involvement within research and practitioner communities, and contributes to the growing body of research on Circumpolar Indigenous youth resilience that can inform climate change adaptation efforts.Le Nord Canadien éprouve présentement de rapides changements sociaux, culturels, économiques, politiques et environnementaux qui ont des impacts directs sur la vie des Inuits dans cette région, en plus de sérieuses implications pour le futur de la jeunesse Inuit. Afin d'affronter ce contexte difficile, il est essentiel pour la jeunesse Inuit d'éprouver de la résilience envers leur capacité d'adaptation et de développer les aptitudes nécessaires pour lutter contre les multiples sources de stress et de pression. Cette thèse se questionne sur la façon de favoriser la résilience des jeunes ainsi que sur le soutient des facteurs qui améliorent la protection de la jeunesse et de leur bien-être en plus d'aider les jeunes Inuits à faire face au changement, plus particulièrement les changements climatiques. Afin de répondre à cette question, un examen systématique de la littérature, un projet de vidéo participatif interculturel, établi dans la communauté et mené par les jeunes, ainsi qu'une étude régionale établie dans la communauté ont été entrepris afin d'explorer les facteurs de protection identifiés par les jeunes et d'examiner les défis de ces éléments à partir de perspectives et d'expériences de ces jeunes. Plus spécifiquement, cette thèse caractérise les facteurs de protection qui influencent la résilience de la santé mentale des jeunes Indigènes du cercle polaire aux changements climatiques; elle explore la vidéo participative en tant que processus qui peut favoriser les facteurs de protection pour ainsi démontrer le potentiel d'adaptation comme un moyen d'améliorer la résilience juvénile; elle documente les facteurs de protection identifiés par les jeunes qui supportent la santé mentale et le bien-être au sein du changement (ex : social, culturel, économique ou environnemental); et elle examine comment les changements climatiques et les ses impacts environnementaux mettent au défi ces facteurs de protection partout dans la région de Nunatsiavut, vu dans la perspective des jeunes; ainsi que les résultats de cette étude qui mettent en évidence l'importance de la voix, de la perspective et de l'implication des jeunes au sein de cette recherche et des communautés participantes, en plus de contribuer au nombre croissant de recherches sur la résilience des jeunes Indigènes du cercle polaire qui peuvent influencer les efforts d'adaptation aux changements climatiques

Implications of Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease in Canada's Indigenous Population.

BACKGROUND:Indigenous peoples in Canada have higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The relative importance of these risk factors on AD risk management is poorly understood. METHODS:Relative risks from literature and prevalence of risk factors from Statistics Canada or the First Nations Regional Health Survey were used to determine projected population attributable risk (PAR) associated with modifiable risk factors for AD (low education and vascular risk factors) among on- and off-reserve Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada using the Levin formula. RESULTS:Physical inactivity had the highest PAR for AD among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada (32.5% [10.1%-51.1%] and 30.5% [9.2%-48.8%] respectively). The PAR for most modifiable risk factors was higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada, particularly among on-reserve groups. The greatest differences in PAR were for low educational attainment and smoking, which were approximately 10% higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada. The combined PAR for AD for all six modifiable risk factors was 79.6% among on-reserve Indigenous, 74.9% among off-reserve Indigenous, and 67.1% among non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. (All differences significant to p < .001.). CONCLUSIONS:Modifiable risk factors are responsible for the most AD cases among Indigenous peoples in Canada. Further research is necessary to determine the prevalence of AD and the impact of risk factor modification among Indigenous peoples in Canada

Implications of Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease in Canada’s Indigenous Population

BackgroundIndigenous peoples in Canada have higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The relative importance of these risk factors on AD risk management is poorly understood.MethodsRelative risks from literature and prevalence of risk factors from Statistics Canada or the First Nations Regional Health Survey were used to determine projected population attributable risk (PAR) associated with modifiable risk factors for AD (low education and vascular risk factors) among on- and off-reserve Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada using the Levin formula.ResultsPhysical inactivity had the highest PAR for AD among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada (32.5% [10.1%-51.1%] and 30.5% [9.2%-48.8%] respectively). The PAR for most modifiable risk factors was higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada, particularly among on-reserve groups. The greatest differences in PAR were for low educational attainment and smoking, which were approximately 10% higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada. The combined PAR for AD for all six modifiable risk factors was 79.6% among on-reserve Indigenous, 74.9% among off-reserve Indigenous, and 67.1% among non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. (All differences significant to p < .001.).ConclusionsModifiable risk factors are responsible for the most AD cases among Indigenous peoples in Canada. Further research is necessary to determine the prevalence of AD and the impact of risk factor modification among Indigenous peoples in Canada