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
. 2018 Feb;32(2):274-281.
doi: 10.1177/0890117116664708. Epub 2016 Aug 29.

Resilience in American Indian and Alaska Native Public Health: An Underexplored Framework

Nicolette I Teufel-Shone  1 , Julie A Tippens  1 , Hilary C McCrary  1 , John E Ehiri  1 , Priscilla R Sanderson  2
Affiliations

Resilience in American Indian and Alaska Native Public Health: An Underexplored Framework

Nicolette I Teufel-Shone et al. Am J Health Promot. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a systematic literature review to assess the conceptualization, application, and measurement of resilience in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) health promotion.

Data sources: We searched 9 literature databases to document how resilience is discussed, fostered, and evaluated in studies of AIAN health promotion in the United States.

Study inclusion and exclusion criteria: The article had to (1) be in English; (2) peer reviewed, published from January 1, 1980, to July 31, 2015; (3) identify the target population as predominantly AIANs in the United States; (4) describe a nonclinical intervention or original research that identified resilience as an outcome or resource; and (5) discuss resilience as related to cultural, social, and/or collective strengths.

Data extraction: Sixty full texts were retrieved and assessed for inclusion by 3 reviewers. Data were extracted by 2 reviewers and verified for relevance to inclusion criteria by the third reviewer.

Data synthesis: Attributes of resilience that appeared repeatedly in the literature were identified. Findings were categorized across the lifespan (age group of participants), divided by attributes, and further defined by specific domains within each attribute.

Results: Nine articles (8 studies) met the criteria. Currently, resilience research in AIAN populations is limited to the identification of attributes and pilot interventions focused on individual resilience. Resilience models are not used to guide health promotion programming; collective resilience is not explored.

Conclusion: Attributes of AIAN resilience should be considered in the development of health interventions. Attention to collective resilience is recommended to leverage existing assets in AIAN communities.

Keywords: alaska natives; american indian; literature review; resilience.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow diagram of inclusion and exclusion of peer-reviewed publications identifying AIAN resilience as a resource or outcome measure. AIAN indicates American Indian and Alaska Native.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lincoln K. Sing With the Heart of a Bear: Fusions of Native and American Poetry, 1890–1999. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press; 2000.
    1. King T. Green Grass, Running Water. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin; 1993.
    1. Hodge FS, Pasqua A, Marquez CA, Geishirt-Cantrell B. Utilizing traditional storytelling to promote wellness in American Indian communities. J Transcult Nurs. 2002;13(1):6–11. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Struthers R. The artistry and ability of traditional women healers. Health Care Women Int. 2003;24(4):340–354. - PubMed
    1. Researching Ungar M. Researching and theorizing resilience across cultures and contexts. Prev Med. 2012;55(5):387–389. - PubMed

Publication types