Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Poor health experienced by Indigenous people worldwide has raised questions around health equity. In Canada, the health disparity of Indigenous peoples to the rest of the Canadian population remains the most marked of any two groups in the country. Food security is recognized as a key determinant of overall health. Thus, high food insecurity rates documented among Indigenous peoples in Canada relative to the national level have caused public health and health equity concerns. While much is known about the factors influencing food insecurity status and the associated health outcomes, little is known about the social determinants of household food insecurity. Even less is known about Indigenous-specific social determinants of household food insecurity, and the vulnerability patterns between and within Indigenous populations to this public health problem. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between social determinants and household food security status of at-risk groups within the Inuit population, which is the Indigenous group most vulnerable to food insecurity in Canada. Food security is defined as having consistent access to a sufficient amount and quality of healthy food. This study follows an exploratory mixed-method design. A thematic analysis of data from the literature and from key-informant interviews with local health and community representatives will inform the key variables considered in the statistical analysis of existing data on a community's household food security status. Finding will provide a more nuanced understanding of the vulnerabilities to food insecurities experienced within the Indigenous population, and the social conditions required to promote food security and health for all.