Grant: Doctoral Research Award - PA: Aboriginal Research Methodologies

Euro-centric or Western understandings of concepts like health and physical activity (PA) have had a detrimental effect on the well-being of Aboriginal peoples. As a result, Two-Eyed Seeing has emerged as an approach to research that considers Western and Aboriginal knowledge as equally important and equally valid. Although it is believed that using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach will lead to meaningful health interventions in Aboriginal communities, researchers often hesitate when asked to share intellectual control with community members in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). Through a CBPR approach, the proposed research aims to illustrate the value of Two-Eyed Seeing by exploring the relationship between an Aboriginal understanding of the PA environment and the PA of Aboriginal peoples. First, community "co-researchers" from 6 Aboriginal communities will be recruited to validate a culturally relevant PA environment assessment tool that was created during my Master's project using local Aboriginal knowledge. Next, 9 Aboriginal communities, with whom my PhD advisor and I have an established partnership, will be asked to help determine if there is a relationship between the PA environment in Aboriginal communities and the PA levels of its residents. Community "co-researchers" will be trained to complete the newly validated tool in Study 1 and children, youth, and adults from the community will be asked to wear accelerometers as an objective measure of PA in Study 2. A quantitative analysis will be used to see if there is a correlation between the Aboriginal rural community environment and PA from accelerometer results. This research will provide preliminary evidence for enhancing culturally relevant PA primary prevention opportunities that will help to reduce the chronic disease burden faced by Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, this study will demonstrate the value of Aboriginal knowledge and methodologies for health interventions for Aboriginal peoples.