Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Elevated prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and associated digestive diseases represent an important health disparity in Aboriginal communities located in northern Canada. Little attention, however, has been directed at social and cultural dimensions of sickness, illness, and disease surrounding the health burden posed by H. pylori infection in this setting. Although this chronic infection is often acquired in childhood, this report presents is the first research dedicated to engaging with northern youth on this subject. Discussed here are the outcomes of a project that has employed the methodology known as photovoice to involve junior high and high school aged youth attending Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson, NWT in community-driven, qualitative health research. The study aims to target their knowledge and perspectives relating to the intersecting dimensions of H. pylori infection, culture, the local environment, and the social life of the community. By incorporating the views of youths for the first time, photographic and ethnographically derived textual outputs will inform knowledge translation goals aimed at reducing the health impacts of this disease.