Grant: Project Grant

The Our Health Counts studies are six urban Indigenous community-based research partnerships in the cities of Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto, London, Thunder Bay and Kenora, Ontario. Each of these studies was done using an advanced statistical method, called respondent-driven sampling. Meta-analysis is a commonly used statistical technique that combines results from different studies to produce one single, overall summary of the available information. Traditionally used in the area of clinical trials, meta-analysis is often considered the 'gold-standard' technique as it provides a complete picture of all available information across studies and increases the reliability of our information. Unfortunately, due to its statistical complexities, appropriate meta-analysis methods are not developed for studies using respondent-driven sampling. Using advanced statistical methods, we will develop an appropriate meta-analysis approach to combine data across all six Our Health Counts study sites. Of pressing interest, early evidence from the Toronto children's health data shows a potentially higher rate of many health concerns, including emergency room and neonatal intensive care unit usage, depression and anxiety relative to the general Canadian youth population, but each single study site lacks the precision to make strong conclusions. In partnership with our six Indigenous community partners, our research team will develop these advanced statistical methods and provide a more complete and accurate picture of urban Indigenous children's health.