Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Aug 5:72.
doi: 10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21182. eCollection 2013.

The RISC research project: injury in First Nations communities in British Columbia, Canada

M Anne George  1 , Rod McCormick, Chris E Lalonde, Andrew Jin, Marianna Brussoni
Affiliations

The RISC research project: injury in First Nations communities in British Columbia, Canada

M Anne George et al. Int J Circumpolar Health. .

Abstract

Background: The project, Injury in British Columbia's Aboriginal Communities: Building Capacity while Developing Knowledge, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), aims to expand knowledge on injury rates among First Nations communities in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

Objective: The purpose is to improve understanding of community differences and to identify community-level risk and protective factors. Generally, injury incidence rates in the Aboriginal population in Canada greatly exceed those found in the non-Aboriginal population; however, variability exists between Aboriginal communities, which have important implications for prevention.

Design: This study uses administrative records of deaths, hospitalizations, ambulatory care episodes, and workers' compensation claims due to injuries to identify communities that have been especially successful in maintaining low rates of injury.

Results: The analysis of risk and protective factors extends the work of Chandler and Lalonde who observed that community efforts to preserve and promote Aboriginal culture and to maintain local control over community life are strongly associated with lower suicide rates.

Conclusion: The discussion on psychological and cultural considerations on healing and reducing the rates of injury expands the work of McCormick on substance use in Aboriginal communities.

Keywords: Aboriginal people’s health; Canada; injury; standardized relative risk.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map of British Columbia, according to health service delivery areas (HSDAs). Map prepared by the government of British Columbia.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Injury hospitalizations in British Columbia, 1986–2010, by HSDA, by Aboriginal and total injuries.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Injured visits to primary care, British Columbia, 1991–2010, by HSDA, total all injuries, by Aboriginal and total injuries.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Workers’ compensation injuries, British Columbia, 1986–2009, by HSDA, by Aboriginal and total injuries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport; 2009. Pathways to health and healing. Second report on the health and well-being of Aboriginal people in British Columbia. Provincial health officer's annual report 2007.
    1. Thommassen H, Thommasen C, Martiquet P, Jin A. Causes of death among status Indians and other people living in the Bella Coola Valley local health area, 1987–2001. BCMJ. 2004;46:179–87.
    1. Bridges FS, Kunselman JC. Premature mortality due to suicide, homicide, and motor vehicle accidents in health service delivery areas: comparison of status Indians in British Columbia, Canada, with all other residents. Psychol Reports. 2005;97:739–49. - PubMed
    1. Chandler MJ, Lalonde C. Cultural continuity as a hedge against suicide in Canada's First Nations. Transcultural Psychiatry. 1998;35:191–219.
    1. Lalonde CE. BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer. Pathways to health and healing. Second report on the health and well-being of Aboriginal people in British Columbia. Provincial health officer's annual report 2007. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport; 2009. Suicide rates among First Nations persons in British Columbia (1992–1996)

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources