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. 2024 Jul;56(3):240-252.
doi: 10.1037/cbs0000363. Epub 2023 Aug 3.

Exploring Sense of Purpose and Conscientiousness as Correlates to Health and Well-Being With Indigenous and Low Socioeconomic Communities on Coast Salish Territories, Vancouver, Canada

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Exploring Sense of Purpose and Conscientiousness as Correlates to Health and Well-Being With Indigenous and Low Socioeconomic Communities on Coast Salish Territories, Vancouver, Canada

Amber R Campbell et al. Can J Behav Sci. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Research is needed to better understand factors promoting health and well-being with Indigenous Peoples and people with socioeconomic barriers in Canada, given they face multiple social determinants that are barriers to health. Individual dispositions, sense of purpose and conscientiousness, are known to predict health and well-being in broader samples. In a community-based approach, guided by Indigenous Elders with traditional ways of knowing, we aimed to determine whether these measures correlate with self-rated health and well-being among Indigenous (n = 149) and non-Indigenous (n = 151) Peoples in Vancouver, Canada. The majority of participants (mean age 49 years, and 58% male) had relatively low income (≤$15,000/year) and educational attainment (<high school). Factors were valid and reliable in all groups. Mean scores were similar between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups, and lower among participants with lower than with higher income. Correlations were similar between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups: purpose significantly correlated with health (SF-6; 0.34 and 0.28, p < .001) and life satisfaction (0.55 and 0.58, p < .001), and conscientiousness with health (0.19 and 0.18, p < .05). Correlations were similar between income groups. When exploring and promoting the health, equity, and well-being of Indigenous and low socioeconomic status communities, purpose and personal disposition are factors to consider alongside social determinants of health.

Il faudrait davantage de recherches pour mieux comprendre les facteurs qui favorisent la santé et le bien-être des populations autochtones et des personnes confrontées à des obstacles socio-économiques au Canada. En effet, ces dernières sont confrontées à de multiples déterminants sociaux qui constituent des obstacles à la santé. Les dispositions individuelles, le sens du devoir et la prise de conscience sont connus pour prédire la santé et le bien-être dans des échantillons plus larges. Dans le cadre d’une approche communautaire, guidée par des aînés autochtones ayant des connaissances traditionnelles, nous avons cherché à déterminer si ces mesures sont en corrélation avec l’auto-évaluation de la santé et du bien-être chez les autochtones (n = 149) et les non-autochtones (n = 151) de Vancouver, au Canada. La majorité des participants (âge moyen de 49 ans et 58 % d’hommes) avaient des revenus (≤ 15 000 $/an) et un niveau d’éducation (études secondaires non terminées) relativement faibles. Les facteurs étaient valides et fiables dans tous les groupes. Les scores moyens étaient similaires entre les groupes autochtones et non autochtones, et plus faibles chez les participants ayant un revenu inférieur que chez ceux ayant un revenu supérieur. Les corrélations étaient similaires entre les groupes autochtones et non autochtones : le sens du devoir est significativement corrélé avec la santé (SF-6; 0,34 et 0,28, p < 0,001) et la satisfaction à l’ égard de la vie (0,55 et 0,58, p < 0,001), et la prise de conscience est corrélée avec la santé (0,19 et 0,18, p < 0,05). Les corrélations étaient similaires entre les groupes de revenus. Lors de l’étude et de la promotion de la santé, de l’équité et du bien-être des communautés autochtones et à faible statut socio-économique, le sens du devoir et les dispositions individuelles sont des facteurs à prendre en compte au même titre que les déterminants sociaux de la santé.

Keywords: Indigenous health; community-based research; conscientiousness; sense of purpose; socioeconomic status.

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