Grant: Prize - IHDCYH Talks

The health perceptions of women affect their behaviors during milestones such as pregnancy. This is important because healthy pregnancies can reduce risk factors for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The health beliefs of women are especially important in Aboriginal communities, who depend on women in their roles as grandmothers, mothers, and aunties to help pass on culture, influencing the wellbeing of children and families. Little is known about the perinatal health beliefs of Aboriginal grandmothers in Canada-and no studies have explored these perceptions in Six Nations grandmothers. We interviewed 18 grandmothers from the Six Nations community about what advice they would give a young woman on how to have a healthy pregnancy and care for a baby. We conducted this research in collaboration with the community, who helped us design the study, contact grandmothers, and analyze the data. The grandmothers identified three important pregnancy beliefs: Pregnancy is a natural phase of the life course that is not an illness nor a "comfort zone"; Pregnancy is a sacred period where balance is key; Optimal health during and after pregnancy is achieved through immunity, security, comfort, social development, and parental responsibility. The grandmothers also discussed how the community has a responsibility to keep women and babies healthy-it is not just about individual actions (eg: the community should work to strengthen social ties to support mothers). The grandmothers talked about knowledge being shared through stories and by watching/demonstrating when with family and friends. After the research was finished, we produced a film to share the findings. This film was created in collaboration with a Six Nations spoken word artist and in consultation with community members. We hope that these findings will contribute towards increased resilience and strength, and will help inform culturally relevant programs and policies to help women have healthy pregnancies.